You Have My Sword
by LATMC
Summary: Sequel to Lost in Middle Earth postHBP, Harry is setting off to destroy the Horcruxes once and for all. But he needs help, in the form of the Fellowship! Should be dark, romantic, and humor in the form of the one and only: Fearsome Foursome! COMPLETE!
1. Prologue: Dumbledore's Plan

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: Here it is: the sequel to Lost in Middle Earth! I hope you enjoy it! I'm SO nervous that this story will be a bad case of sequelitis, so I sit, and write, and pray!

WARNING: Book 6 spoilers are EVERYWHERE! You should have Book 6 done by now before you read this, or you might be very confused! This takes place during Book 7!

Prologue: Dumbledore's Plan

Professor Minerva McGonagall stared miserably around the headmaster's office. It should have been hers now, but the school of Hogwarts might be closing and she didn't feel right here without Professor Dumbledore.

But Dumbledore was not completely gone. McGonagall had just turned towards the door when she heard a soft voice call out, "Minerva?"

She turned to see the portrait of Dumbledore staring at her. Fighting back sudden tears, she said, "Albus?"

"Listen closely Minerva, there is something very important I must tell you."

"Is this the thing Potter refused to tell me about last June?"

"No. Harry and I did discuss what I am about to tell you at the end of his fifth year, when I informed him of the prophecy, but we never spoke of it again. It is crucial that you understand everything I am about to tell you and follow my instructions without question. Harry and his friends need help on his mission, and I believe I know the very people who can help him."

McGonagall listened closely. What she heard she could scarcely believe. "Miss Granger did _what_?" she exclaimed.

"Yes. One of the greatest achievements of our time I believe."

"But…_how_?"

"That, I don't know. All I know is that you should be able to find it in a place called the Room of Requirement."

"And you want me to go _through_…"

"And summon them, yes. It shouldn't be too difficult. They are very fond of Harry, from what I gather, and I am sure they will only be too happy to assist."

"But Albus- you said that only one of them is a wizard! What chance do they have against You-Know-Who?"

"A lot more than you realize Minerva."

"I don't know if this is such a good idea…"

"You mistrust Harry's judgment? Or mine?"

"Of course not!" said McGonagall, alarmed.

"Then please do as I say. The fate of the magical community is at stake."

"I will," said McGonagall.

"Thank you," said Dumbledore, "And now that that's been taken care of, I could use another nap…" McGonagall watched in disbelief as the portrait Dumbledore drifted off to sleep again. Then she quickly left the room.

A/N: That was pretty short, but that's what most prologues are. Please review! Next chapter will come tommorrow, and will continue in the daily pattern until school starts and I am sunk deep in homework!


	2. Getting Back Together

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: My last day of summer! (sob) Goodbye freedom! I hope you guys don't feel like I'm going to fast with this story, but I want to get out this chapter before my freedom ends! Probably by Monday the updates will slow down again. If not, that's good news for me, it means I don't have toomuch work! If so, then we'll all just have to bear with it!

Chapter 1: Getting Back Together

It was the beginning of August, and Harry Potter was sitting on his bed at Number 4 Privet Drive, lost in thought. He would soon be leaving for the Burrow with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny for Bill and Fleur's wedding, and then he would be starting his journey to Godric's Hollow, his parents' old house, which he had been told was all but destroyed. He thought it would be a good place to establish as a sort of headquarters while on his quest to destroy the Horcruxes, pieces of Voldemort's soul that kept him almost immortal.

Voldemort was the evil Dark Lord bent on destroying Harry and conquering the wizarding world. He had murdered Harry's parents but couldn't kill Harry himself because of his mother's protection and because of a prophecy made that said either Harry or Voldemort would kill the other.

Then, last year, Harry and his old mentor, Professor Dumbledore, had discovered the secret of Voldemort's seemingly immortality; he had split his soul into seven pieces, called Horcruxes, and placed them in secret places. His old diary, which Harry had destroyed without knowing it in second year, Slytherin's ring, which Dumbledore destroyed, Hufflepuff's cup, Slytherin's locket, his pet snake Nagini, and something of Ravenclaw's or Gryffindor's. And of course, Voldemort himself had a bit of his soul still inside.

Now Harry planned to use all his time and energy to finding the rest of the Horcruxes and finishing Voldemort off for good. His best friends, Ron and Hermione, had promised to stay with him no matter what. So had Ron's sister Ginny, also Harry's ex-girlfriend. Harry had strongly protested against this. The whole reason he had broken up with her in the first place, to protect her, was falling apart fast. But Ginny was persistent, and he was forced to give in. So he had distanced himself as far away as he could from her the whole time they were at Privet Drive, something his aunt, uncle, and cousin, the Dursleys, failed to notice. But then again, they were so busy complaining about now having four wizards in the house they didn't seem to notice anything else.

Harry still laughed silently to himself when he remembered the conversation that had taken place in King's Cross back in June.

"Hey Uncle Vernon! Hey Aunt Petunia!" he had said cheerfully as he left the platform with the others. He couldn't wait to see their expressions when they heard about _this_! "You know Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, right?"

"These are your little friends?" said Uncle Vernon with a sneer, "Well say good-bye to them, you'll see them next term I'm sure."

"Oh that's not necessary sir," he said happily, "They're coming to stay with us."

Uncle Vernon turned his now very familiar shade of purple. "They're _what_!" he demanded.

"Coming to stay with us," repeated Harry slowly.

"Oh they are, are they?" began Uncle Vernon.

"If that's all right with you, Mr. Dursley," said Hermione politely.

"No it ruddy well isn't…" Uncle Vernon started to say, when Ginny cut him off.

"Excuse me Hermione," she said, glaring at Uncle Vernon so fiercely he actually quailed, "We're going to stay with Harry whether you like it or not."

Normally Uncle Vernon would've had a comeback for that, but his eyes were glued to the wand Ginny was ever-so-innocently fingering. "Come on then," he growled, and led the way out.

On the way home the Dursleys set up all sorts of behavior rules. No doing anything magical, ("I just came of age," muttered Ron.) no getting dirt anywhere, ("There went playing Quidditch," grumbled Ron.) and no fraternizing with Dudley or the neighbors. ("How are we supposed to have any fun at all?" groaned Ron.) At this point Hermione cut in with an angry hiss, telling Ron they were here to support Harry, _not_ just have fun.

"I know," said Ron, "Who said I don't care about Harry?"

"Well you have a funny way of showing it sometimes!"

"I do not!"

"What about when Harry's name came out of the Goblet of Fire?"

"I was very supportive then!"

"When you weren't speaking to him?"

"Oh you just _had_ to bring _that_ up again!"

"You get used to it," explained Harry when Uncle Vernon turned around and asked if these two always had to fight.

However, Ron and Hermione had made an effort to slow down in the area of bickering, knowing it could not help Harry very much, and because they were both united in the fact that the Dursleys were horrible and they couldn't understand how Harry had managed to put up with them for so many years. Ginny had been wonderful the whole time, and Harry was finding it harder and harder not to just go back on his decision in regards to her.

Fred and George, Ron's older twin brothers, had been great too. They were constantly coming to visit whenever they had time off from work. Although a few weeks ago they had come seeming incredibly angry about something, Harry just assumed a deal had fallen through, because they were as cheerful as possible around him.

Occasionally Harry would think back to the adventure he had back in fifth year, when Hermione had created a time portal which sent all six of them back into the medieval world of Middle Earth. Harry missed the friends he had made back there, but at this point he was fairly certain he would never see them again. Not Aragorn, who had slowly become almost like a parent to him, or Legolas and Gimli, or Frodo and Sam, whom Hermione had journeyed with on a quest to destroy _their_ Dark Lord, or Merry and Pippin, who had seemed like Fred and George's hobbit counterparts, or Gandalf, who had reminded Harry so much of Dumbledore.

_Dumbledore_. Thinking of the death of one of the greatest wizards of all time made Harry sad, angry, and determined at the same time. Sad because Dumbledore had been one of his greatest friends and mentor. Angry because of Severus Snape, the man whom everyone had trusted and then turned out to be the murderer. Determined that Snape should be defeated and destroyed along with his master Voldemort.

At that moment Harry heard the door open and then shut. He looked up and saw Ginny.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked, trying to stay calm.

"Looking for you," she said.

Harry realized immediately why she'd been looking for him. "Ginny, look, I'm sorry, but…"

"Harry, I've been thinking about it, and there's no reason at all why we shouldn't be together."

"Yes there is…"

"There's no point in trying to protect me Harry. I've given this a lot of thought. I _want _to be there for you. We _need_ each other."

"But Ginny…"

"You don't think Snape or Malfoy won't tell You-Know-Who about us? They don't know we broke up. And even if you tell him otherwise, he'll know, you told me he's a Leglimens, and you were never good at closing your mind, no offense."

"None taken," said Harry, "The truth's the truth after all."

"Yes well, you're always saying how you wish people would stop treating you like a little kid, because you're perfectly capable of defending yourself! Well, how do you think I feel when everyone's trying to shelter _me_, and you not wanting me to go with you anywhere?"

Harry had never thought of it that way, and he felt a little guilty.

"You taught me so much in the DA," Ginny said, "You might as well let me practice a bit in the real world."

"Well," said Harry finally, "If you want to prove yourself, for starters you could start calling him Voldemort."

Ginny actually laughed. "You drive a hard bargain," she said, "It's a deal!"

"Are you sure?" asked Harry incredulously.

"Of course! If you can say it and Hermione can, why shouldn't I?"

"Try it then."

"All right." She took a deep breath, and then said, "_Voldemort_," without the slightest sign of fear.

"Well done," said Harry with a grin, "You did it."

"I did, didn't I?" she replied, then kissed him.

Harry felt like he was in another world, one that was so full of happiness he could scarcely put his mind around it. That kiss had opened up feelings that he had kept down for so long (only about two months, but it felt longer). He and Ginny were both so wrapped up in what they were doing that they didn't hear the noises downstairs of the doorbell ringing over and over again, Uncle Vernon's roaring, "What the _devil_…", Ron's roar of delight, Hermione's "Oh _honestly_, what are you all doing here!", Aunt Petunia's screams, or the sound of people running up the steps and the door opening. It wasn't until they broke away that Harry realized someone was standing in the doorway. He turned around and nearly fell on the bed in shock when he saw who it was.

"Hello Harry," said Aragorn, looking close to laughing, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"


	3. Reunited at Last

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 2: Reunited at Last

"A-Aragorn?" croaked Harry, "W-What are you doing here?"

"Hey Harry! Hey Ginny!" Merry and Pippin squeezed their way in. "How've you been doing?"

"Pretty good by the looks of it," said Aragorn with a sly grin.

"Oh shut up," said Harry, slowly starting to understand that this wasn't a crazy dream, "But what are you doing here? Is the rest of the Fellowship here?"

"Right here," said Legolas, coming through with a broad smile.

"Harry! Ginny! How are you all?" cried Gimli jubilantly.

"Fine thanks," said Ginny shakily, looking beyond shocked.

"Harry! Ginny! Did you see? The Fellowship's here! They're all here! Gandalf and Frodo and Sam and Merry and Pippin and Aragorn and Legolas and Gimli!" Ron said excitedly.

"Yes, well, we're here on a matter of business, not just pleasure, unfortunately," said Gandalf gruffly.

"Hello Gandalf," said Ginny, "You haven't changed a bit I see."

"And neither have we, as Fred and George will tell you," said Pippin with an evil grin.

"Do they know you're here?" asked Harry in amazement.

"No."

"Then how would they know that?" asked Hermione suspiciously, entering with Frodo and Sam, who promptly made a beeline for Harry and Ginny to wring their hands with excitement.

"Pippin!" snarled Merry.

"What?" asked Pippin innocently.

"Can't you keep your mouth shut? You're going to get them in trouble!"

"Oh sorry," said Pippin, and shut his mouth.

"Why?" asked Hermione slowly, "_Did they use the portal?_"

"Of course not! Did I say that?" said Merry.

"I think they did," said Aragorn, "It would explain a lot. Like why I got all these angry letters from hobbits asking for the removal of what they called 'the twin terrors'."

"Oh my goodness," groaned Hermione, "What are we going to do with them?" She buried her face in her hands in exasperation.

"Eventually I had to pass a law saying only hobbits were allowed in the Shire," said Aragorn.

"And they were furious when they found out," put in Pippin.

"Was that a few weeks ago?" asked Harry, "Because Fred and George seemed really angry about something, but they refused to say why."

"I wouldn't know," said Aragorn, "Your time is probably different then ours."

Harry was about to agree with that when Uncle Vernon burst in, looking furious. "_That's it!_" he yelled, "I've had enough of this! You are all getting out of my house THIS INSTANT!"

"We'd love to, but we have to stay one more day," said Harry coolly.

"You never told me you'd have more weirdos here!" roared Uncle Vernon, "No, I'm drawing the line! Four was quite enough, I'm not entertaining a whole crowd!"

"Just one more night," protested Harry, "They don't have anywhere else to stay!"

"NO!" screamed Uncle Vernon, "THEY GO, RIGHT NOW!"

"I suppose we could leave early," suggested Ron, "Bill and Fleur's wedding is tomorrow after all, and I'm sure Mum wouldn't mind."

"Who are Bill and Fleur?" asked Frodo curiously.

"My brother and his fiancé," replied Ron, "They're getting married tomorrow."

"Can we come?" asked Merry.

"I suppose so," said Ron.

"Of course they can!" said Ginny, "We'd love to have you! You'll like Bill, he's really nice…"

"And Fleur," added Ron.

"And Fleur, yes," said Ginny with a forced smile.

"So I suppose once again, our adventures are starting out with a party?" said Sam.

"That's right," said Harry.

"How wonderful," said Uncle Vernon with a sneer, "Suppose you start those adventures by getting out _right now!_"

"Fine," said Harry, "Give us a chance to get packed, and we'll be out forever."

Uncle Vernon responded by slamming the door shut.

It took them all about a half hour to quickly get their things together. Then Ron pulled out a small sack of Floo Powder.

"I thought the Floo Network wasn't connected to this house," said Harry.

"That's right!" said Ron, slapping himself on the head, "Dad was going to set it up tomorrow!"

"What'll we do now?" asked Hermione worriedly.

Harry thought for a minute. "We can take the Knight Bus," he said finally.

"Oh no," groaned Ron.

"The what?" asked Frodo.

"You'll see in a second," replied Harry. They all followed him outside, and he stuck out his arm.

There was a loud BANG! and the purple, triple-decker Knight Bus appeared. Harry watched with amusement as his medieval friends jumped about a foot in the air and stared at the bus in panic.

"W-What is that thing?" asked Legolas. Harry had never seen him look so scared before.

"It's just a bus silly," said Pippin, and he walked right up to it.

"How did you know that?" asked Hermione, "_Did you use the portal too_?"

"Uh, no comment," said Merry, and they both rushed on board past the conductor.

"'Arry!" yelled the man with delight.

"Hello Stan," said Harry happily, "I see they let you out of Azkaban!"

"Yeah, the Minister 'imself did it! 'E said you 'ad somethin to do wif it yourself!"

"He did did he?" said Harry, remembering his last conversation with the Minister of Magic.

"Yeah!" said Stan eagerly, "So thanks 'Arry, for whatever you did!"

"Don't mention it," said Harry, handing him a bag of gold, "Where're we headed guys? The Burrow?"

"Can we go to Diagon Alley first?" asked Pippin, cautiously sticking his head out, "We haven't seen Fred and George's joke shop in ages!"

"_What?_" yelled Hermione.

"_Pippin!_" snarled Merry, jerking him back, "He means we'd like to see Fred and George again!"

"Diagon Alley then," said Harry.

"Right-o!" said Stan, "Get that Ern?"

"Arr," said Ernie Prang, the driver.

"Hop on then," said Stan.

Harry turned around to see the rest of the Fellowship standing as far back as possible. "It's only a bus," he said, laughing, "It won't bite."

Slowly, with Gandalf well in the lead, they all boarded the bus.

"Are you sure about this?" whispered Hermione anxiously, "Maybe we should just take a taxi."

"Take _them_ in a _Muggle_ taxi?" asked Harry, "Are you serious Hermione?"

"Well…all right, maybe not," she said, "But _still_, they're going to just hate this!"

It looked like she was right. Gimli promptly sat down next to them and asked, "How fast does this go?"

"Er, well, it's kind of, uh…"

"It'll be over before you know it," supplied Hermione.

"Quite literally," muttered Harry under his breath.

"Ah, that's good," said Gimli, settling down in his seat, "Just as long as it doesn't…"

BANG!

Harry soon figured out that unlike the rest, Merry and Pippin's screams were ones of pure delight. They alone appeared to be enjoying the ride. Legolas had the sense to grab on to one of the poles, and had one arm wrapped firmly around it, the other Gimli was clinging to. Ron kept holding on to his chair, while Hermione had her arms protectively around Frodo and Sam. Gandalf alone seemed to be able to keep his balance. Harry, Ginny, and Aragorn were getting knocked around. So were Merry and Pippin, but they were letting that happen, not even trying to find something to hold on to.

"This your first time on the Knight Bus?" Stan asked Legolas cheerfully.

"Yes," he gasped.

"Enjoying it?" Stan appeared oblivious to the others' terror.

"It's wonderful," muttered Legolas, resisting the urge to say what was really on his mind.

"IT'S THE BEST RIDE I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE!" yelled Merry, rolling down the stairs.

"ME TOO!" screamed Pippin.

The Knight Bus came to an abrupt halt outside the Leaky Cauldron, and Harry and Aragorn went flying into the windshield next to Ernie. There was a mad scramble to the door. "Never again," gasped Gimli, "Worst thing I've ever ridden…"

"Can we do that again?" asked Merry. Everyone else groaned.

They all entered the Leaky Cauldron. Gandalf had to stop Merry and Pippin from heading straight to the counter, where Tom the barman was filling up mugs with butterbeer. Harry led them all through to the outside, where the newcomers watched in awe as the bricks opened up to reveal Diagon Alley.

"Where is Fred and George's shop?" asked Aragorn.

"This way," said Harry. He noticed Hermione glaring at Merry and Pippin, who seemed to know their way to the store quite well.

"When I get my hands on them…" she muttered furiously.

They all walked down the practically deserted alley to the brightly colored Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

"Wait a minute," said Hermione, "You guys can't go in there!"

"Why not?" asked Legolas.

"You look really out of place! We should go to Madam Malkin's and get them all some wizard robes before we do anything else."

"Good idea Hermione," said Ginny, and she led them across the street into Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. The owner, Madam Malkin, greeted them all warmly enough, but Harry thought she definitely looked a little strained. She seemed jumpy the whole time she fitted the members of the Fellowship, and never once questioned their strange appearances, but instead stared at the ground, mumbling to herself. Harry felt a bit relieved when he paid for everything and then left.

"Now for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!" said Pippin happily.

Like the last time, the store was packed. A young blond witch hurried up to them. "Hello, my name is Verity, how can I help you?"

"We'd like to speak with the owners please," said Harry.

"Who should I say is here?" she asked.

"Merry and Pippin," said Pippin.

"That'll bring them out," muttered Ron.

"Wait one minute," said Verity. They watched as she opened a side door and called in, "Mr. and Mr. Weasley, there are some people here to see you, two of them are called Merry and Pippin…"

That was all the poor woman managed to get out before she was barreled over by Fred and George, who looked beyond delighted to see their friends again.

"How are you all?" asked Fred.

"Oh I've been doing just fine," replied Hermione coolly, "Until Pippin informs me that he's been here before and Aragorn says that he had to_ ban_ you from the Shire!"

"Why'd you tell her that Pippin?" asked George indignantly.

"Exactly what I asked him," said Merry.

"It was an accident!" protested Pippin, "I didn't mean to give it away…"

"For that, you must pay for one of the things you get here," said Fred.

"But…but…"

"No buts," said Fred, "It's the only way you'll learn!"

"You never let me get anything for free!" said Ron.

"No discounts for family, but there's nothing saying we won't be a bit more generous to our business partners," replied George.

"So what are you all doing in Diagon Alley?" asked Fred.

"These guys came, and my uncle kicked us out," replied Harry.

"That's too bad," said Fred, "You should all just stay in the Leaky Cauldron, I doubt Mum will have extra room for you all tonight, what with all the guests coming to stay over. She actually made us clean out our room so no unfortunate relatives got into our undeveloped products."

"That's a good idea, but I'm low on gold," said Harry.

"Tom will probably let you rent for free. On second thought, maybe he won't. Almost nobody goes to the Leaky Cauldron anymore, and he's desperate for paying customers."

"Of course we'll pay," said Hermione, "You'll just have to go to Gringotts Bank, Harry."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," said Harry. He turned to the others. "Maybe you shouldn't come with me," he said, "The cart ride to the vaults is pretty wild."

"I'm in then!" said Pippin.

"We can at least go in there with you," said Aragorn.

"What's a bank?" asked Sam.

And so they all set off for Gringotts. Normally it would've taken hours to get through security, but the sight of Harry eased things up a bit, and then Gandalf came up to the goblin in question, giving him such a powerful stare that it cleared them almost immediately. If Harry hadn't known Gandalf very well, he would've been surprised at the way he could easily handle creatures that were not easily persuaded. But if there was one thing he had learned about the old wizard it was this: expect the unexpected.

Gimli immediately fell in love with the bank, and began a deep discussion with one of the nearby goblins about the value of different jewels and exchanging mining stories. Merry and Pippin, meanwhile, hopped right into a cart with Harry and the goblin Griphook.

The journey was wild as always, with the two hobbits putting their hands in the air at certain times, and getting excited over Harry's vast wealth, which had grown considerably larger after he had recently inherited money from his godfather, Sirius Black, as well.

Then they left, (Harry noticed that Legolas looked relieved, the mining air and the presence of goblins, though they were much better than the orcs, was almost too much for the elf.) and went to the Leaky Cauldron. Fred had been right, Tom looked overjoyed at the prospect of all these customers. Harry shared a room with Ron, Hermione with Ginny, Frodo with Sam, Merry with Pippin, Legolas with Gimli, and Gandalf with Aragorn. Fred and George came along to say hi, and they all met in Harry's room to talk.

"Like I said before, we are here for business, not pleasure," began Gandalf.

"What kind of business?" asked Ron.

"Defense business," replied Aragorn.

"In other words, we're here to repay our debt," said Frodo.

"What debt?" said Harry, growing red, "You don't owe us anything, we were glad to help."

"You helped us rid our land of a powerful Dark Lord," said Legolas, "We can't forget something like that."

"Yeah, but really, the Death Eaters are far worse than orcs, they can kill you all with a flick of the wand!"

"Let 'em try!" said Sam fiercely.

"We really appreciate this," said Hermione, "But we can't put you in this type of danger. Maybe you should just go home, before something dreadful happens!"

"They can't leave, they just got here!" protested Ginny.

"Besides, we didn't come just on our own whim," said Gandalf, "We were ordered here, although we would have of course come the moment we thought you needed us."

"Yeah, you've proved that before," said Harry, "But who ordered you?"

"A woman by the name of Minerva McGonagall," said Aragorn, "Actually, she claimed to be the messenger of that man you often told us about, the one who was at the Department of Mysteries, Albus Dumbledore."

"_Dumbledore_?" asked Harry incredulously, "But that's impossible! He died last June!"

"We know," said Legolas, "That was the strange part. She said that she had spoken to his portrait, and he told her to come!"

"We thought she might be mad," said Gimli, "Until she demonstrated a bit of her magic and we had to believe her. We went through the portal as fast as we could, landed in Hogwarts, and took a-what are those? A Portkey, to your aunt and uncle's house. And you know what happened next."

"So you were all in Rivendell at the time?" asked Hermione.

"We were all feeling an urge to go there," said Frodo. For some reason he seemed uneasy. "Once we were all there and met each other again, it wasn't long before Minerva McGonagall came through the portal."

"So now what happens?" asked Ron.

"Now we get some rest," said Gandalf.

"After that, we were hoping you'd fill us in," said Pippin, "McGonagall told us a lot, but she said there was something secret you were working on, and we were hoping we could help you with it."

Harry sighed. It seemed inevitable now. If Dumbledore wanted the Fellowship to be here, than they would have to stay, and he would have to let them in on his mission. "First, we're going to Bill and Fleur's wedding," he said, "Then I'm going to Godric's Hollow, my parents' old place. And then, I have a plan to destroy Voldemort." He told them all about the Horcruxes.

"_He split his own soul_?" asked Legolas with a shudder.

"Well," said Aragorn slowly, "If that's what you need to do, then I think I speak for everyone when I say we're with you to the end."

"Here, here!" chorused the twins.

Harry felt beyond touched at their fierce loyalty to him. "All right," he said, "It's settled then. We'll come up with a plan once we fix up Godric's Hollow a bit."

"Sounds good to me," said Sam, "And now for bed!"


	4. Sam's Misadventure

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 3: Sam's Misadventure

Next morning, everyone got up, dressed, and ate breakfast. (Tom was delighted with the appetites of the four hobbits.) Then Harry paid Tom a little extra and they all gathered by the fireplace to use Floo Powder. The air was very tense. Even Merry and Pippin had never traveled by Floo Powder before.

"It's very simple," said Harry, "Take a handful of powder and throw it in like this," The whole fireplace burst into green flames, "And say the name of your destination, like Ron here," Ron walked into the fire, shouted, "The Burrow!" and was gone. The others looked more than a bit frightened.

"Why don't you try Sam?" suggested Harry.

Unfortunately, Sam had scarcely been paying any attention. His whole mind was fixed on what Harry had told him last night about Horcruxes, and the boy Tom Riddle. He wanted to make sure he remembered it all, as it was very important. The trouble was that he was a bit of a slow-thinker, so he couldn't process much else.

The result was that Sam walked into the fire thinking all about the mission and ended up saying, "Riddle! I mean, Burrow! I mean," at this point he started coughing since he had swallowed so much ash and couldn't get anything else out. Then the Floo Powder sucked him away.

"Did he say the Burrow?" asked Pippin.

"Eventually I think he did, but it started out as Riddle," said Hermione.

"Oh no," moaned Harry. The possibilities of where such a mistake could lead Sam were endless.

As luck would have it, Sam landed in the worst of these possibilities. He landed sprawling out of the other end, but couldn't see Ron. Immediately he knew he'd made a terrible mistake, and decided to turn back, but the flames were gone, and he didn't know you could simply throw powder back in to make another fire. He figured he needed to find another way out of this mess.

Sam first decided to take a look around. He was in a large room with a rug and a huge armchair. Next to this chair was another one, positioned in such a way that Sam figured the owner of the house was expecting company of some sort.

At that very moment he heard voices outside in the hallway, headed straight for the room he was in. One was smooth and deep, the other was cold and chilling, and the mere sound of it told Sam he did not want to be discovered. So he quickly hid himself in a nearby closet and pressed his ear to the door to listen in on the conversation.

"It is simply amazing what you have managed to do for me, I owe you deeply."

"I understand of course. After all, I was once in such a state myself. But all the same, you do owe me something."

"Whatever you like. I would be happy to help you conquer these foolish wizards you speak of."

"They are foolish aren't they? Why, for almost a year they refused to believe that I was back for their own sakes, even though Harry Potter refused to sway from his story."

"Ah, Harry Potter." Sam thought he detected something like hunger in his voice. "You wish to destroy him, do you not?"

"Yes. But that is my own task. I won't let anyone else do it. Although, as I understand, you have your own reasons for wanting him dead?"

"Indeed. He did not attempt to destroy me, but he helped put an end to my own plans, and I have not forgotten that."

"I'm sorry you can't have your revenge, but Harry Potter is mine. The prophecy says so. You may have his friends though."

"I would love nothing better," said the voice with an evil laugh, and Sam felt himself shaking with fear.

Then there was a hissing noise.

"Ah, Nagini," said one of the men, "Do come in."

A slithering noise was heard, and Sam was sure there was a snake on the other side of the room. He thought he could hear the man conversing with it.

"Nagini would like us to leave," said the man.

"You take orders from snakes?" asked the other with amusement.

"Of course I don't. But _this_ snake is different, you know that."

"I do."

"Besides, Nagini claims to smell fresh meat."

Sam tensed.

"I told her it was only us, but she won't believe me."

"Is someone eavesdropping?" asked the other man, on full alert.

"Yes. And I think I know who." Sam backed away. But then there was a bang and a squeal of pain.

"Why Wormtail?" said the voice with cold amusement, "I didn't know you were so interested in hearing my plans."

A whiny voice answered, "Please master, I only wanted to tell you, Snape is here, he has some information."

"Send him up here, I'm very busy."

"My Lord, he can't stay very long, it would be better if you came downstairs."

"Are you giving me orders, Wormtail?" asked the man softly.

"My Lord…certainly not…"

"Then send him up."

"But he is leaving soon! He has work to do…he is practically out the door!"

"And you tell me he cannot spare time for his master?"

"No, no, he is simply following your own orders…"

Sam suddenly heard the snake let out an angry hiss and started slithering around the room, obviously agitated in some way.

"Nagini, Nagini," said the first man softly, "What is the matter?"

The snake spat in response.

"Interesting," said the man, "Nagini smells meat…perhaps she is hungry for rats, eh Wormtail?"

Wormtail whimpered in response.

"Tell Snape I will be down to see him," said the man with an odd laugh. When Wormtail ran out, slamming the door behind him in fright, he said, "I am in a strange mood today, my good friend. I have the feeling we will learn some very important information soon, Snape was always one of my craftiest servants."

"I agree," said the second voice. They got up and left.

Thinking he was alone, Sam cautiously opened the door.

Instantly the snake, which Sam had forgotten all about, lunged at its new prey. Sam barely had time to think or act. Instinct made him step to the side and then bring his dagger down in a crushing, fatal blow to the snake's head. It fell over, dead.

Then something strange happened. Some sort of spirit, something within the snake, howled and stretched and then disappeared in thin air with a rattling noise. Then all was quiet, but not for long.

Green flames appeared in the fireplace, and Harry came tumbling out of the fireplace. He was up in an instant, wand out and ready in case of an attack. But all he found was a stunned Sam and a dead snake.

"Are you all right?" he asked, rushing over and checking the hobbit for injuries, as he had often seen Aragorn do.

"I'm fine," whispered Sam, "But we have to leave now. The man with the cold voice just left, but he'll be back soon."

"Voldemort?" asked Harry in horror. Sam nodded. "Did he hurt you at all?"

"I don't think he knew I was there. I hid in the closet, and I heard him plotting, and then his snake came in, and then he and his friend left to go hear information from that man, that Snape. Apparently he had some important information to give."

"Snape," growled Harry, "So he's still useful is he? That dirty, lying, cowardly traitor…"

"Then I came out and the snake jumped at me and I swung my sword and now it's dead. Something strange happened when it died though. Some smoke or something came out of its body and disappeared. Was that its spirit or something?"

"Sam," said Harry slowly as he stared at the body, "I think you just killed one of Voldemort's Horcruxes."

"I did?" asked Sam, sounding stunned that he could do something like that.

"Yeah," said Harry, "Did he call it Nagini?"

"He did, now that you mention it. I didn't really realize what I was doing, I was panicking you see."

"I understand," said Harry, "Let's get out of here."

"But where have _you_ been all this time?"

"As soon as you said Riddle, I had a bad feeling I knew where you'd end up. But Hermione told me to check at the Burrow first, and if you weren't there, wait and see what happened to the others before going on a rescue mission. So I did, and obviously you weren't there, but everyone else managed to get through all right, although Gimli swears he's sticking to horses from now on, so anyway, I went to rescue you and now here I am."

At this point they could hear faint footsteps and raced to the fire. "Now this time," said Harry, "Say 'The Burrow' really loud and clearly."

"All right Harry," said Sam, stepping in. "The Burrow!" he shouted, and vanished.

Harry turned for a second to stare at the snake. It wouldn't be good for Voldemort to see it dead. So he waved his wand, muttered, "_Evanesco_!" and then stepped into the fire for the Burrow.

A/N: A bit short, and a bit dark, but the next chapter should be better.


	5. The Wedding

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: Some of you wondered what the scoop was with Frodo, Gandalf, and the Grey Havens. The answer is…they haven't left yet. Apparently I discovered in the Appendixes that they stay for four years, so this is in that time period.

Chapter 4: The Wedding

Sam received a warm welcome when he came to the Burrow. In fact, the others had to forcibly restrain Frodo, Merry, and Pippin from hugging him so hard he couldn't breathe. And of course, everyone was all the more excited when they found out that Sam had destroyed one of the Horcruxes.

"Made my job a lot easier, he did," said Harry happily.

Everyone wanted to hear Sam's story over and over again, but Gandalf grew serious and said that it was more important now that Sam had learned a bit about Voldemort's plans. But before they could discuss it, Mrs. Weasley came bustling over to tell them the wedding was soon, and that they'd better smarten themselves up for the big event.

Bill and Fleur's wedding was supposed to take place outside in the Weasley's garden. The whole place was beautiful. It had been all decked out with flowers, and the gnomes had all been driven away so as not to take away from the scenery. Bill was up at the front by the altar they had arranged with Mr. Weasley, and it looked like he had used a lot of ointment to try and take away some of his scars. The whole place was filled with chairs, and all sorts of people were sitting there. Harry could see the Longbottoms and Luna and her family, and plenty of red-heads that could only be related to the Weasleys, and some very beautiful women from Fleur's side of the family, including her little sister Gabrielle.

"Are those elves?" asked Legolas.

"No, Fleur's part veela," replied Harry.

"Are there any elves here?" he asked.

"Erm, I don't think so," was all Harry could say. The longer it took for Legolas to realize the difference between the elves of this world and the ones in Middle Earth, the better in Harry's opinion.

The place had gotten crowded, but Mrs. Weasley managed to give the group from Diagon Alley all front row seats. Then, once everyone was in their places, the ceremony began.

Fleur came out, looking extraordinarily beautiful in her dress and tiara that Mrs. Weasley had lent to her. Harry could see every man's mouth dropping, with the exception of Aragorn and Legolas, who were always among the elves, and therefore were used to such beauty. Merry and Pippin, on the other hand, had to be restrained by Gandalf from running out of their seats. Harry, remembering the powerful effect veela could have on certain people, (including himself) thought Gandalf had probably spared them doing something very bold and very stupid.

Fleur finished walking up the aisle, and took her place beside Bill, beaming graciously at everyone. The two lovers exchanged vows and then kissed. "Wow," whispered Sam, "That sure was different then the wedding between me and Rosie!"

"You did get married to Rosie then?" asked Hermione with delight.

"Yes," said Sam, sticking his chest out a little bit with pride, "A few months after we all got back to the Shire."

"That's wonderful!" exclaimed Hermione.

"What was it like?" asked Ginny eagerly.

While Sam went into a full description of his wedding, Neville Longbottom came over. "Hi guys!" he said, "Who are they Harry? Hey, wait a minute, aren't those the people that came to help us in the Ministry of Magic?"

Harry had not told Neville all about his adventures in Middle Earth, and after all they'd been through, he now felt a little guilty about that. "Yeah, they're friends of mine," he explained, "I met them back in fifth year, but it's a long story, I'll tell you after lunch."

"Hey, I've seen that girl before," said Legolas, "Harry, is that an elf, or a veela?"

"Who?" asked Harry, while Ron's head swung around eagerly.

"That girl," replied Legolas, pointing at someone walking towards Harry and his friends.

Ron burst out laughing. He practically fell out of his seat from shaking so hard. "_What! Luna Lovegood, an elf or a veela?_" he gasped.

"Isn't she?" asked Legolas in confusion, "She looks like one."

"Are you _serious_?" cried Ron.

"She's human actually," said Harry. Though now that he thought about it, he could understand Legolas's mistake. Luna had grown a bit taller, had very long blond hair, and wide blue eyes. She wasn't incredibly beautiful, but apart from that, and the lack of pointed ears, she looked a bit like a younger version of Galadriel, or one of the elves from Lothlorien.

At this point the girl in question approached them. "Hello Harry," she said, "Who are these people? And why are you laughing Ron?"

"Oh…hi Luna," gasped Ron, getting up, "It's nothing really…just something he said…", pointing at Legolas, who now looked a bit embarrassed.

"That's funny," said Luna, her wide eyes fixed on him, "I don't remember seeing you before? Or…I feel like I did…years ago…but I can't remember…"

"They're friends of mine Luna," said Harry, "They came to help at the Department of Mysteries. That's probably where you saw him." And then, figuring she would understand this sort of thing, he added, "They're from another world."

"_Really_?" Luna's eyes grew wider. Then she caught sight of Legolas's ears. "Are you an elf?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"That's amazing!" she said, "Are there witches and wizards in your world?"

"I think there are only four," he said, "There used to be five, but one of them died. Another one is Gandalf, over there."

"Wow," she breathed, but didn't move her eyes away from Legolas, "What else is in your world? Do you have heliopaths or Crumpled-Horn Snorkacks?"

"If we do, they go by a different name. What are they?"

"Heliopaths are spirits of fire!" said Luna, "They're huge flaming beasts that burn everything in their path!"

"Can they fly?" asked Legolas.

"No, I think you're thinking of dragons. Heliopaths have curved horns on their heads and they can breathe fire, but they can't fly. They either walk on all fours or they can stand."

"Wait," said Legolas, "Do they carry flaming whips?"

"No," said Hermione sharply from behind them, "Because they don't exist!"

"Yes they do!" cried Luna angrily, and then in a softer voice to Legolas, "Some of them do."

"No they don't!" said Hermione.

"Yes they do!"

"No they don't!"

"Yes they do!"

"No they don't!"

"Yes they do," said a different voice. The two girls turned and realized it was Legolas. "I know what she's talking about."

"You do?" began Luna in surprise and gratitude, but Hermione cut her off.

"No you don't," she said angrily, "I _know_ they don't exist!"

"Maybe not in your world," he replied, "But in my world they definitely do."

"Stop being so ridiculous," said Hermione, "There's nothing that says they do."

"You've seen one before."

"Excuse me, but I think I would know if I saw a heliopath before!"

"Remember the Balrog?"

Hermione deflated. "But…but…surely not…"

"They sound exactly the same to me. They just go by a different name."

"Is…is that possible?" asked Hermione.

"Why Hermione," said Ron gleefully, "I do believe you got something wrong!"

"Shut up Ron," she snapped, "I'm sorry Luna," she said.

"That's quite all right," said Luna happily. Hermione turned back to her conversation with Ginny and Sam, while Luna turned, beaming, towards Legolas. "Thank you," she said, "I don't think anyone's ever stuck up for me like that before!"

"It was nothing," said Legolas, "So what are Crumpled-Horn Snorkacks like?"

Luna looked thoroughly delighted to see that there was someone interested in what she had to say. It was look that Harry had only seen once before, when he had invited her to go to Professor Slughorn's party with him. Together, the pair of them sat down and started talking about all sorts of magical creatures. When everyone was eating lunch, Harry noticed that they were both sitting together and barely touching what was on their plates.

"I'm so glad she's having fun with him," said Ginny, who was next to Harry, "It's not like she has a lot of real friends, and it looks like they really like each other!"

"Who are these guys Harry?" asked Neville, "Did you say they were from another _world_?"

So Harry began his long tale about Hermione making the time portal and their adventures in Middle Earth. Ginny and Aragorn, who had come over, helped fill in at certain places. Neville was fascinated. "I wish I'd been there!" he lamented, "It sounds really cool!"

"Believe me, there were times when it wasn't," said Harry

"'Arry!"

Fleur came rushing over in her wedding gown. "'Ow are you?" she asked, "I am so glad you could come!"

"I'm fine thanks," said Harry, growing red. He heard Ginny sniff behind him.

"Hey Harry!" cried Bill, coming over to shake hands.

"Hi Bill," said Harry, "Congratulations you guys!"

"Thanks," said Bill, grinning. The two kissed again. Ginny looked ready to be sick.

"So," said Bill, turning to Aragorn, "Ron told us all about you guys."

"Zat wuz vairy smart of your friend 'Ermione," said Fleur, "I could never make something like a portal!"

"I don't have to tell the whole story over again do I?" said Harry anxiously.

"No, no," said Bill, laughing, "Unless you'd like to discern for us which is fact and what is Ron exaggerating?"

"You can probably figure it out yourself," said Aragorn with a smile.

"Well, did he actually swordfight with a-what do you call them- Nazgul?"

"No," groaned Harry, "He dodged it!" They all laughed.

The party lasted all day. When the sun was just setting, Mrs. Weasley served a delicious dinner worthy of some of Hogwarts' feasts. Harry and Ginny sat together and talked about Quidditch.

"So who's winning in the league?"

"Haven't you heard? It's been canceled, lots of players who refused to go to the Dark side have been killed, and no one wants to risk going to a game anymore!"

"How come you heard this and I didn't?"

"It was in the Daily Prophet, don't you read it?"

"Not if I can help it!"

Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin were having a very important "business meeting".

"After a while everyone got suspicious, and now no one will take mushrooms from us, since they think they'll turn into one," Merry was saying.

"So we've taken it one step forward," said Pippin.

"How?" asked Fred.

"We hide them among the party food!" said Pippin gleefully, "It's a great laugh, and no one knows the difference between them and the other mushrooms, and no hobbit will _ever _turn down a mushroom, especially at a party, so we've got 'em trapped!"

"Excellent," said George.

Ron and Hermione were asking Frodo and Sam how everyone else in Middle Earth was.

"Well, we heard that Eowyn and Faramir have been using their lives to make the forest of Ithilien beautiful again," said Frodo, "And Legolas has been helping with that too."

"How are they?" asked Hermione eagerly.

"They seem happy enough," replied Sam, "Like me and Rosie. And Merry tells me Eomer got married."

"Really? How's he doing as king?" asked Ron.

"Fine, from what Merry tells us," said Frodo, "He likes staying in contact with them. Everyone is content in Middle Earth, from what I can tell."

Aragorn and Gimli were talking about battle tactics with some of the members of the Order, especially Mad-Eye Moody.

"That's why I say," growled Moody, "That you never know _who _could be coming up from behind you! Always got to keep an eye in the back of your head. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" He banged on the table, and everyone jumped. "Yes, that's the way to stay alive!"

"That, and an axe!" said Gimli. Moody examined it.

"Interesting weapon," he muttered, "Not as good as a wand perhaps, but it'll survive a battle. What's this here?" His magical eye was fixed on the axe. "This has been bewitched it has. Powerful defensive charms on it! Who did that for you?"

"A very good friend of mine," replied Gimli.

"Well, keep it safe, it's very valuable!"

Mr. Weasley was telling Gandalf all about the Ministry of Magic, ("The real problem with these supposed "amulets" is that people are desperate for any type of protection, so they'll take anything…" "Maybe your Ministry should supply your own form of amulets. Ones that really work. Then people would be protected." "You think we aren't trying?"), and Legolas and Luna were still chatting happily about whatever came to their heads that they wanted to discuss. All in all, Harry felt very peaceful, and it was hard to imagine that tomorrow they would have to leave for Godric's Hollow. And after that, who knew what lay ahead?


	6. Godric's Hollow

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 5: Godric's Hollow

"Now," said Mrs. Weasley, "It's time for you lot to get to bed!"

Most of the guests had already left by now, as it was getting dark and no one wanted to be out and about at night. The Lovegoods were still here, as they lived close by, and the Longbottoms, but that was because Mrs. Weasley had been gossiping with Neville's grandmother and both lost track of the time.

"So I guess I'll see you at Hogwarts if it does reopen?" asked Neville.

"No," said Harry, "I'm not going back."

"But why?" cried Neville, looking very shocked.

Harry leaned in and whispered, "I've got to go to my parent's old place tomorrow. Godric's Hollow. I would rather that not too many people know about it, so please keep it to yourself."

"Why are you going though?" persisted Neville, "Is it to do with You-Know-Who?"

Harry paused, and then whispered, "Yes."

"Then I'm coming with you."

"No you're not!"

"Yes I am. Don't try and stop me now Harry! I want to help!"

"But your gran…what will she say?"

"Who cares? She'll probably think it's great, that I'm living up to my parents' legacy or something!"

"What are you all whispering about?" asked Luna, coming up with Legolas.

"I heard everything, actually," said Legolas, "So is he coming to stay with us too?"

"I guess so," said Harry.

"Coming where? Where are you all going?" asked Luna.

Harry groaned. Did _everybody_ have to know?

"It's all right, if you don't want me to come," said Luna calmly, "I just wondered…"

"We're going to my parents' house, and if you want to come you can, but this is _very_ serious, do you understand? We can't afford to mess up, or we'll all be dead!" said Harry.

"Of course," said Luna dreamily, "I won't tell a single soul. Except my dad of course. He needs to know where I am."

"Will he not mind?"

"Of course he won't! Is this something for the DA?" she asked hopefully.

"Sort of," said Harry.

"Then I'd be happy to come! Are you going too Legolas?"

"Yes I am," he said. Luna looked thrilled.

So in the end it was decided that Neville and Luna would come to the Burrow early the next morning, and they would all take a Portkey to Godric's Hollow immediately after breakfast. They would take the place of Fred and George, who needed to get back to their store and find someone to take care of it while they were gone.

Mrs. Weasley was very tearful when it was time to leave. She kept hugging her children, and came close to asking them if this was really what they wanted, they could always simply go back to Hogwarts when and if it re-opened. But she knew they wouldn't want to. They were too loyal to Harry to back out now.

"Ok everyone," said Harry, "_This _is a Portkey." He held out a large umbrella.

"We know, we used one before," said Merry.

"And hated every minute of it," muttered Gimli.

"Ok," said Harry, "So everybody put a hand on it.."

They all did so, and the next few minutes were very apprehensive. Then Harry felt the familiar tug at his navel and they were off in a whirl of color. It was all over before anyone really knew it. They were all sitting in a deserted yard, and nearby Harry heard Pippin saying, "We really need to do that more often."

Everyone looked around. The house was, for the most part, intact, but it was crumbling and the air had a dead, chilly feel to it. Vines were growing all over the walls like a horror movie. Nearby were two headstones with the names Lily Potter and James Potter written on them.

"Well," said Pippin, "Er…it's very nice."

"We may have to fix it up a bit," said Hermione.

"Yeah," said Harry, feeling a bit dazed. _This was his parents' house._ "Yeah…I guess…" He felt Aragorn's hand on his shoulder, and suddenly he felt warmer, and the dazed feeling went away. "Come on," he said, "Let's get to work."

They all walked through the wooden door, which was hanging off its hinges. Hermione looked at it for a moment, then said, "_Reparo_!" The door mended itself. The windows were an entirely different story. All of them were smashed. Dust covered everything, and parts of the ceiling looked ready to cave in. Every other door besides the one Hermione had fixed was also broken. Remains of old furniture were everywhere.

"Hasn't _anyone_ been here in all these years?" asked Merry.

"I don't think anyone would want to go near it," said Ron, "Dad told me the Ministry put all sorts of Muggle-Repelling Charms on it out of respect, but that was it."

"We'll have to make it Unplottable," Hermione was saying, "And put a lot more defensive spells on it if we're going to make it our headquarters."

"You can do all that," said Ron, "I don't think anyone else has the ability to."

"Right," said Harry, "First things first. Hermione, I want you to go around and repair all the doors and windows. Ginny, I'd like you to clean them when she's done."

Both girls nodded and went to work.

"Excuse me Harry," said Sam, "But I'm good at cleaning, if there's anything you'd like me to do, just say the word!"

"Thank you Sam," said Harry, "But we really need to do something about the ceiling and roof."

"I can do that," said Gandalf, and he walked off.

"Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin," said Harry, "Do you think you can dust this place?"

"Sure Harry," said Merry and Pippin simultaneously.

"And Ron and Neville, could you dust upstairs while they do downstairs?" The boys all nodded and left.

Gimli looked hopefully at Harry. "I saw a pile of rubble outside, Harry, if you want me to repair parts of the walls that are damaged."

"Go ahead," said Harry, "But you'd need plaster…"

"No I wouldn't," said Gimli eagerly, "I know how to repair things like this without a lot of materials. Dwarves are specialized in mining and building!"

"Ok, whatever you like," said Harry, "And what about you Legolas?"

"The yard looks very dreary," said Legolas, "And there are plants growing everywhere. I could help clean that out if you like."

"Sure you can," said Harry.

"Can I help him, or can I do something for you?" asked Luna.

"You can help Legolas and Gimli," said Harry. Luna smiled at him and followed her new friend out.

"What about me Harry?" asked Aragorn.

"You can come with me when I explore this house; see if there's anything still here," said Harry.

The two old friends walked up the stairs and down a hallway. The rest were all hard at work, and already the place looked a little better. Aragorn watched as Harry ran his fingers along the wall and started looking depressed. This had been his parents' house after all, and it was creepy to think he used to live there.

* * *

"Oh look," said Ginny while they were fixing the living room door, "A fire place!"

"We can use this for cooking until we get a proper stove," said Hermione, bending over. "_Evanesco_!" she said, and the ashes and dust inside vanished.

"_Incendio_!" cried Ginny, and a fire burst into life in the fireplace.

"There, that's much cozier," said Hermione.

* * *

Outside, the cleaning was going on in earnest.

"How are you planning on fixing the walls?" Legolas called out.

"The trick is how they're carved," said Gimli, "You can get them to fit together just so, and they lock together and there's no need for plaster."

"That's very nice," said Luna, "But I was never really interested in engineering."

"Nor was I," said Legolas.

"Well, that much was obvious to me from the start, you're far more interested in trees than in metal," said Luna.

"It's where I grew up," said Legolas.

"Well that makes perfect sense, I've always believed that the type of home life you start out with shapes who you end up becoming. How are we going to get rid of all these vines?"

"We're not going to get rid of them," explained Legolas, "I think they look nice. We're just going to trim them, so they don't look out of control."

"That's easy enough then," said Luna cheerfully, and they set to work.

* * *

_Pop! Pop!_

Fred and George Apparated right in the foyer, where the hobbits were diligently dusting. "Hello all," said Fred, "What can we do to help?"

"No idea, ask Harry," Merry grunted.

Frodo sat up and looked around. "Do you know what this place needs?" he asked, "Furniture."

"And food!" piped up Sam.

"Say no more," said George, "We'll get stuff in Diagon Alley." And they were gone.

"Careful," said Harry to Aragorn, "That ceiling looked bad downstairs. We could cause the whole thing to cave in if we step on weak floorboards."

Aragorn treaded delicately around for a bit, then stopped. "I don't think we need to worry Harry," he said, "Gandalf did a fine job."

They walked around a bit, but there was nothing interesting to see, so Harry and Aragorn went back downstairs to help with the cleaning.

* * *

By evening the house was looking much better than it did when they first arrived. "I don't believe it," said Ron, "This is easier than Grimmauld Place!"

"That's probably because this place is so dead, there aren't any Dark creatures breeding here," said Hermione, "Plus, Harry's parents didn't put all these evil enchantments on things the way Sirius's mum and dad did, and that certainly helps. We're really starting from scratch here."

So for the next few days the renovation work continued, with the twins popping up every now and then with furniture to make it seem more like a home. And all the while owls were coming to deliver the _Daily Prophet _to Harry, who had decided it might be better to search it for news after all. The death toll was steadily mounting, and he knew he needed to destroy those Horcruxes as soon as possible.

Finally, about a week after they had started, Harry collapsed in one of the new sofas next to the fireplace and said, "Well guys, I think we're done."

Everyone cheered.

"Now comes the hard part."

The cheers died down slightly.

"Getting rid of Voldemort."

Total silence.

"We need to destroy the Horcruxes, and we need to prevent as many Death Eater attacks as possible."

"Death Eater attacks are the Order's field," said Ron.

"Well, I remember back in fourth year, when Professor Moody told me that the best thing to do would be to play to my strengths. Yes, I know he turned out to be an impostor, but I think it was good advice, and I'm going to try it."

"Just tell us what to do Harry," said Aragorn.

"Well, I would like Hermione to see if she can't find anything on RAB," he began, "Maybe you could travel to libraries and see what you can find."

"Harry, I've just thought of something!" said Hermione, clapping her hands with delight, "I can look in old school records at Hogwarts Library! They have lists of all the students that ever came to Hogwarts, I can look through all the B's of this century and take notes and see what I find! I never thought of it before because I was so upset over Dumbledore's death I wasn't thinking straight!"

"That's a great idea Hermione!" said Harry, "And while you're at it, see if there are any known relics left of Ravenclaw's or Gryffindor's. And I would like Ron, Gandalf, and Aragorn to come up with some defensive strategies for us."

"Why me Harry?" asked Ron, his ears turning bright red.

"Because you're good with logic," said Harry, "Believe me, you'll be a big help. And you four," he pointed at Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin, "I want you to start inventing Defense Against the Dark Arts equipment. Your Shield Clothes and Instant Darkness Powder and Decoy Detonators are great, but we need more stuff than that."

"No problem," said Fred, and the others nodded.

"Legolas, Gimli, Frodo, and Sam," said Harry, "I want you to be my envoys."

"What does that mean sir?" asked Sam.

"We need more allies against Voldemort," said Harry, "He's already got the giants and the dementors. Legolas, I was hoping you could talk to the centaurs. They're refusing to take sides in human warfare, but you're a Wood Elf, so maybe they'll respect you. Besides, you're the only one among us that can really climb trees, so if things get sticky I'm sure you'll be able to escape."

"Of course I will," said Legolas, "Where are they?"

"They'll be in the Forbidden Forest, by Hogwarts. And Gimli, you were getting along great with the goblins at Gringotts. Maybe you could help Bill in getting them on our side."

"Do we have to have goblins on our side?" asked Legolas.

"_Yes_," said Harry firmly, "They're not as bad as the ones in Middle Earth."

"I will be happy to do that," said Gimli.

"And Frodo and Sam, I want you to go to Hogwarts with Hermione. There's an elf that works there named Dobby. You'll find him in the kitchens," he said, ignoring Legolas' questioning stare, "He can help you rouse up the other elves if need be. I know they have powerful magic, and I want them to help us."

"Why," asked Legolas, "do these elves work in a kitchen?"

"They're a bit different then your people, we'll leave it at that," said Fred hastily, "You'll see when you meet Dobby."

"Luna," said Harry, "Your father's the editor of the _Quibbler_. It's very important that we have the media out there to support our actions. Boost everyone's morale, and at the same point, tell the truth."

"I have an idea," said Neville suddenly, "Why don't Ginny and Luna and I write up another Home Defense Guide to be published? That first one certainly wasn't very helpful. We could even make a Do-It-Yourself course on defense lessons! That way people at least know how to Stun or disarm an attacker."

"That's a great idea Neville!" said Harry.

"I'll bet my dad would publish that," said Luna excitedly.

"All right then, let's start tomorrow morning," said Harry. Feeling confident, just about everyone went off to bed, heads swimming with ways to defend the wizarding community.

But not everyone. Just as Harry was leaving the room, a hand grabbed his shoulder. Harry whirled around. It was Legolas.

"What's up?" asked Harry.

"Harry," said Legolas in a very serious voice, "What is wrong with the elves in your world?"

"What do you mean?" asked Harry uneasily.

"Stop pretending Harry! Do you think I haven't noticed the looks you all exchange whenever I bring them up? _What is wrong with them_?"

"Er," Harry gulped, "Well, you see…"

"Are they mortal?"

"Yeah," said Harry gratefully.

"Is that all?"

"Well…"

"Is it?"

"No," said Harry very softly.

"Please Harry, you can tell me. I won't be angry with you."

Harry sighed. "Well…see…they're more like hobbits than anything else."

"Hobbits?" said Legolas in confusion, "What's so terrible about that? I realize hobbits aren't the exact same standard as my own people but they're not as bad as you're making it out…"

"There's more," said Harry, "See…they love to work, and they love serving wizards, and it's well…it's gotten to the point where they're…they're…" He shook his head. "Legolas, I'm going to be blunt with you, they're slaves! They're the exact opposite of your people, in fact I sometimes wondered whether you guys were even the same group of creatures at all! You can't be! They don't even _look_ like you! They look a bit like the goblins we saw in Gringotts last week, and like I said before, they're about the size of hobbits!" He stopped, to let it all sink in.

Legolas looked away and didn't say anything for a long time. Finally he said softly, "I see."

"Please don't be mad, it's not my fault!" begged Harry, "I'm sorry you had to hear this, I'd hate it if I were you, but…"

"I'm not angry with you Harry," said Legolas, "I suppose I should have suspected something like this. But I never thought…how can they possibly be slaves?"

"One's not," said Harry, "That's Dobby. You'll like him. He's a little weird, but ok."

"How is he free?"

"Actually, I freed him. But most elves are really happy the way they are, they like being slaves, so it's not that bad really."

"I suppose so. I'm going to go to bed now Harry."

Harry felt miserable. He knew for a fact that if it were him, he would simply _hate _knowing his own kind were in such a state. He watched as Legolas opened the door…

…and Luna was standing on the other side.

"I'm sorry," she said calmly, "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation, and you shouldn't feel badly about the elves, Legolas, I've seen them, and they really are happy with the way they are. We know you're not like that, and we still respect you for that!"

Legolas looked like he felt better just hearing her say that. "Thank you Luna," he said softly. She beamed, and they headed upstairs together.

"Oh! Legolas, one more thing!" yelled Harry.

Legolas turned around.

"Whatever you do, _don't join S.P.E.W!_"

"What's S.P.E.W?"

"This organization Hermione set up. She wants to free all the house-elves."

"Well, that's a good cause isn't it?"

"Not the way she does it. She tries to trick them into freeing themselves by leaving clothes all over for them to pick up. If a house-elf gets clothes it means they're free. But that insults them, because it makes them feel like they aren't coming up to scratch. And then she nags people to join, and she'll make you do it too! Believe me, you're much better off not in it!"

"All right, I won't mention in front of her. Good night."

"Good night." Harry went off to bed, thinking about elves. With a jolt he wondered what Legolas would say when he found out Harry had inherited a house-elf, Kreacher. Forget that, what would he say when he _met _Kreacher, who was nasty-tempered and bound to insult him. There was no doubt about it, this could turn very messy!


	7. All's Fair in Love and War

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 6: All's Fair in Love and War

The next morning Hermione, Frodo, Sam, and Legolas started out for Hogwarts immediately after breakfast. They weren't gone long when they were back.

"What happened?" asked a thoroughly bewildered Harry.

"I'm sorry Harry," cried Hermione, "But the Ministry decided to close Hogwarts! They've locked it, and they've got guards by the entrance to the grounds! We couldn't get through!"

Harry stared at them. "Legolas, can't you get into the Forbidden Forest?"

"He can't, I told you, it's completely blocked!" wailed Hermione, "_Now _what will we do?"

A thought struck Harry. "If Hogwarts is closed," he said, "What happens to the house-elves?"

_Pop!_

"Have to stay with Master now, at least I could avoid him at Hogwarts, why Kreacher can't simply serve Miss Bellatrix…"

_Oh no…_ Harry winced.

"Who's that?" asked Legolas, "Is that a house-elf?"

"Yes," said Hermione, "This is Kreacher. He belongs to Harry."

Legolas whirled around. "_You own house-elves?_" he asked indignantly.

Harry backed away. "I didn't want him, I inherited him, I swear I don't want him…" he was saying very fast.

"And Kreacher doesn't want him either, oh no he doesn't…"

"Then why don't you set him free?" asked Legolas.

"I can't," said Harry miserably, "He used to belong to Sirius Black, and he lived at the Order's headquarters. And if I set him free, he'll go to the Lestranges, or the Malfoys, and he'll tell them all this stuff about the Order; he'll betray us to Voldemort!"

"Yes I would, yes I would, I'd be proud to do it too, vermin that you all are…" Kreacher muttered under his breath.

Just then Fred and George burst in. "Hello all," said Fred cheerfully.

"What's _he _doing here?" George asked in disgust.

"He came back," said Harry, "Hogwarts closed."

"Send him to Mum then, she's always wanted a house-elf," said Fred.

Kreacher's eyes widened. "Kreacher won't go to a family of blood-traitors, oh no he won't!"

"Are all house-elves like this?" asked Legolas.

"No," said Harry, "Thankfully they aren't. Maybe I should just send him back to Grimmauld Place, the Order can look after him there."

Kreacher calmed down after that, saying how much he would rather go to Grimmauld Place, where his Mistress's portrait was. He looked around the room for the first time. "There are three people here that Kreacher doesn't know, who are they, Kreacher wonders…"

"Kreacher, this is Frodo and Sam. They're hobbits," said Hermione, "And this is Legolas. He's an elf, just like you!"

"I wouldn't say _just like him_," muttered Fred.

Kreacher stared at Legolas, and then muttered, "That is no elf. Elves work for their masters, that one is far too proud, disgraceful, that's what he is…"

Harry wanted to die. Legolas's face had turned white with fury. Hermione was trying to hold on to Fred and George. "Don't..." she gasped, "He isn't in his right mind…"

"Don't you dare talk about Legolas that way again!" roared Fred.

"Yeah, he knows what he's saying Hermione!" yelled George, "Let go so I can straighten him out a bit…"

"Fred…George…please…" gasped Hermione.

"All right all right!" yelled Harry, "Kreacher, don't _ever _insult Legolas or one of my friends again, or I _will _let Fred and George straighten you out!"

"Yes Master," said Kreacher with a bow and a glare.

"Ok, good. Now what I would like you to do is go back to Grimmauld Place. Tell whoever's there that I want you to work there for the Order. You're forbidden to leave the house though, no matter _what _anyone else says. Got that?"

"Yes Master," snarled Kreacher, and with a _pop! _he was gone.

"Charming isn't he?" said Fred. Harry groaned.

"I'm sorry for what he said to you Legolas; I can't control everything that comes out of that foul mouth of his…"

"_We_ could've if _someone_ hadn't felt a little sympathy," said George, glaring at Hermione.

"It's all right," said Legolas, although he still looked a bit angry, "What shall we do now?"

"Well, you can either help Ginny, Neville, and Luna with their defense guide, or you can come with me, Gandalf, Aragorn, and Ron and discuss our strategy," said Harry.

"I'll help with the guide," said Hermione.

"Me too," said Legolas.

"But you don't know magic," said Harry.

"Who said you had to know magic?" said Hermione, "Common safety measures are good too, not just the Ministry ones, but fighting tips!"

"All right, you two can go. And what about you guys?" he asked, looking at Frodo and Sam.

"We'll stay with you Harry," said Frodo, "That is, if Sam wants to."

"I'm going wherever you go, Mr. Frodo," said Sam.

"Haven't changed at all have you Sam?" said Harry with a grin, "Come on then!"

They all headed upstairs to the first room on the left, where they found Ron talking with Gandalf and Aragorn.

"It's like this," he was saying, pointing at the chess game he has set up, "Harry's the only one who can kill Voldemort. If he dies it's all over. So he's like the king." He pointed to one of the pieces. "Dumbledore was the most powerful wizard on our side, so he's like the queen. And we just lost the queen, which is never good in a game."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Ron," said Harry, stepping in, "Frodo and Sam are here too, they couldn't get into Hogwarts, it's closed. So how're we doing?"

"All right," said Ron, "Although I had to explain the rules of chess to these guys before they knew what the heck I was talking about!"

Harry and Aragorn glanced at each other and then looked away before they burst out laughing.

"Actually, I'm glad you're here Sam," said Gandalf, "Would you be able to tell us exactly what you heard when you accidentally were transported to Voldemort's headquarters?"

Sam frowned. "Well, I'll try Mr. Gandalf, sir, let me see…" He thought about it, and then related the adventure as best as he could.

Ron closed his eyes, which meant he was thinking. "What I want to know is what he's got Snape doing that gets him so much information," he said slowly, "I mean, we all know he's a traitor now, don't we?"

"Yeah…" said Harry, "That is weird…"

"Maybe he's following people," suggested Aragorn.

"We'd see him!" said Ron, "I don't think they've got an Invisibility Cloak, and those are no guarantee of success!"

"Not the way Snape would use one," said Harry darkly.

"What other ways can you disguise yourself?" asked Frodo.

"He _might _be an Animagus," said Harry, "Those are wizards who can turn into animals."

"Or it could be Polyjuice Potion again!" gasped Ron.

"Or he might not be following anyone at all," reminded Gandalf, "And if he is, who is he tailing and why?"

"Maybe it's us," said Ron.

"Or your Ministry of Magic," suggested Frodo.

"Or someone from the Order," said Harry.

"Or someone we don't know," said Aragorn.

"Could be anyone really," said Ron, "But who was that other person talking to You-Know-Who?"

"I don't know," said Sam, "I didn't recognize his voice."

"That worries me as well," said Gandalf, "Harry, are there any other dark lords with a grudge against you?"

"I'm pretty sure any dark lord would love to kill me," said Harry.

"Anyone in particular?" asked Gandalf.

"No. Just Voldemort. Unless I offended someone and didn't even know it."

"Whoever it was didn't know very much about wizards," said Aragorn.

"How d'you reckon that?" asked Ron.

"Because of what Voldemort had to tell him about people not believing Harry a few years ago."

"Aragorn, you're a genius!" cried Harry.

"That certainly narrows things down," said Gandalf, "But why would Voldemort treat a person who knows little about magic with respect?"

"He could be lying," said Ron, "He's been known to do that."

"Yeah, but I always thought Voldemort's policy toward Muggles was: kill first, ask questions later," said Harry.

"Besides, what evil Muggle's got it in for you?" asked Ron.

"Who else but these guys here know next to nothing about magic?"

"Wait," said Frodo. A wild, horrible idea had come to him. "It…it couldn't be…_Sauron_, could it?"

"'Course not, we destroyed him," said Ron.

"What if Voldemort somehow brought him back?" asked Frodo.

"I guess he could do that," said Harry slowly, thinking of the graveyard.

"No, Sauron was destroyed along with the Ring, right Gandalf?" asked Aragorn.

"I believe so," said Gandalf, "But I suppose it's possible if ancient, Dark magic exists that we know nothing about."

"I dunno about that…" said Harry skeptically.

"Well, it never hurts to have an open mind," said Ron.

"This said coming from the person who refused to believe Malfoy might be a Death Eater," Harry muttered under his breath.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ginny, Neville, and Luna were happily sitting down to discuss their guide when Legolas and Hermione came in. 

"Hermione! Legolas! I thought you left for Hogwarts!" exclaimed Ginny.

"We did," said Hermione grimly, "But it was closed."

"Too bad," said Neville, shaking his head, "Got any idea what you're going to do next?"

"No," she replied.

"Oh well, you can come help us then," said Luna cheerfully, "We're trying to decide what spells to put in here!"

"Definitely _Expelliarmus_," said Hermione.

"Exactly what I was thinking," said Neville, "It's good for beginners."

"But wouldn't people already know spells for beginners?" asked Legolas in confusion.

"You would think," said Ginny, "But most of us aren't trained to fight like you are."

"What kind of things would you do in a duel Legolas?" asked Hermione.

"What kind of duel?"

"Like a sword fight I guess," she said, "I suppose it could work the same way with spells."

"Well, if it was a sword fight, one of the basic rules of fighting is this: _never_ make the first move."

"Then how do you get the other person to move?" asked Neville curiously.

"Insults," replied Legolas.

"Ah!" said Ginny, "That'd be a Death Eater move! How do we tell people to block out insults?"

"Oh it's easy," said Luna absent-mindedly, "I've been doing it for years."

"You have?" asked Legolas.

"Oh yes," said Luna, "People call me 'loony' all the time. You get used to it after a while. It just takes practice."

"Why on earth would people call you loony?" asked Legolas, feeling both shocked and sympathetic.

"Because people are cruel," said Ginny, "Especially the Slytherins."

"They can't _all_ be bad," said Hermione.

"The one's I've run into are," replied Ginny.

"We're getting off topic," said Neville, "How are we going to keep people from attacking when a Death Eater insults them?"

"I don't know how many people would need a tip like that, because I don't know how many people would enter into a proper duel like that," said Hermione, "Maybe someone like Harry or an Auror, but not an innocent person off the street."

"Then we'll say it's precautionary," said Neville.

They continued working for a few hours, then decided to stop for lunch. Neville, Legolas, and Luna went out to the kitchen.

"Wait Ginny!" called Hermione, "I need to talk to you!"

Ginny turned around and closed the door. "What is it?" she asked.

"I need to talk to you about Luna."

"Luna?" asked Ginny, clearly puzzled.

"Yes, Luna," said Hermione, "See, you're her friend right?"

"Right…" said Ginny slowly.

"You know the most about her…"

"Hermione, just get to the point!" said Ginny impatiently.

"Well, she seems so happy lately, especially when she's around Legolas…"

"And?"

"What's going on between those two? She doesn't…_love him_, does she?"

Now Ginny looked sad. "I'm afraid not."

"What does that mean?"

Ginny sighed. "See, Luna is probably the loneliest person I've ever met. She's never had any friends before the DA and the whole thing in the Department of Mysteries. So she's never really bothered to fall in love with anyone. Why should she waste her time fancying someone when she knows that person will never feel the same way about her?"

"Legolas would never hurt her like that!" gasped Hermione.

"_He _wouldn't," said Ginny, "But a lot of other boys _would_…and I think she's just used to thinking that way. That's why she didn't suspect anything serious when Harry asked her to go to Slughorn's party with him."

"But, I just feel like she's just happier around him than anyone else!"

"Well that's understandable," said Ginny, "He's the first person to like her outside of her family."

"We like her!" said Hermione defensively.

"Admit it Hermione, you didn't like her when you first saw her."

"Well…no."

"And why?"

"I thought she was insane, with all her beliefs in strange creatures and absolute rubbish!"

"Exactly! We all felt that way! We thought she was weird, and we _tolerated _her, but we weren't really her _friends_. Don't you see? Legolas was the first person to actually get to know her, see past her weirdness; have you ever seen him snub her beliefs?"

"No," admitted Hermione.

"So of course she likes him. But a friendship is as far as it goes in my opinion. I certainly don't think _he _sees her as anything more than a friend. They barely know each other!"

"That's true," said Hermione, "But for two people who barely know each other, they certainly seem to connect."

"Well, that's up to them of course. But I just don't see Luna seeing anybody as more than a friend. She's grateful just to have a companion!"

"Oh," said Hermione.

"Was there anything else you wanted to ask me?" asked Ginny.

"No," said Hermione softly.

"Come on then, let's have lunch!"

"I'll be there in a minute."

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, just go, I'll be right there."

"Ok…" Ginny left.

Hermione felt very strange. She had never felt such strong sympathy for anyone before, least of all Luna Lovegood. She wasn't heartless, but she had forgotten what it felt like to be alone, without any friends at all. She remembered being in first year, at the top of her class, achieving excellent grades, but never being completely happy. After Halloween she had realized why. Harry and Ron made life fun and exciting, much more exciting then getting an "Outstanding" O.W.L. She remembered how happy she had felt when she realized what a wonderful thing it was to have friends, and even more so when she learned that she really cared about Harry and Ron, and that they felt the same way about her. She understood exactly what Luna was going through with Legolas.

Now that Hermione realized this, she felt terrible about her past indifference towards Luna. She remembered back in sixth year when she and Ron had been fighting, and she had run into her normal sanctuary, the bathroom, crying and feeling extremely miserable. Then Luna had come in, saw her, and started talking to her in a comforting voice. While Luna seemed to be forever saying embarrassing truths that made others a bit uncomfortable, she also had the amazing ability to say exactly what a suffering person needed to here.

_Really_, thought Hermione, _We're not that different at all. She's a very nice girl, and neither of us did anything wrong, we just tend to stick out more, me with my grades and her with her absurd beliefs, and that's why everyone excluded us. _The thought made her angry as she thought of not just herself and Luna, but of Professor Lupin, who was excluded in life for no reason except that he was a werewolf, and her fellow Muggle-borns, who people like Malfoy sneered at because of their parentage. _It's wrong! _She thought. _We have just as many rights as the next person! _She was also frustrated with herself. _I am such a hypocrite! Here I am, trying to gain house-elves their rights, and at the same time people like Luna have to walk around school with everyone laughing at them for who they are! And I never said anything, because I agreed with them! I thought she was strange, I even _told _Harry he could do much better than her for a supporter! I'm sick!_

Ron walked in, interrupting her thoughts. "Hermione, are you coming? Everyone else is eating now!"

"Yes," sighed Hermione.

"What's up?" he asked, frowning.

"Nothing Ron."

"Come on, you can tell me! I'm your friend!"

Those last words stung. But they were enough to make Hermione suddenly pour out all her thoughts to him. Ron looked thunderstruck.

"_That's _what's bothering you?"

"Aren't I horrible?" she cried.

"Are you kidding?" he asked, "You're one of the greatest people I know!"

"Stop being so nice."

"I'm serious! Hermione, you know me. Have I ever hidden my criticisms from you just to be nice?"

Hermione didn't have to think hard. "No."

"Then what makes you think I'd start now?"

"It's just that…well…" she faltered.

"Look, you shouldn't be feeling this guilty. You're so smart and kind and beautiful…I don't understand why you think you're so horrible just because you decided to agree with the rest of us that Luna is mad!"

"But Ron, I should've been a bit more understanding…"

"Who do you think you are? Draco Malfoy? It's not like you bullied her or anything! And you've been much nicer to her lately anyway. Although," he added, "If this makes you feel so guilty that you want to drop that spew stuff, be my guest!"

"Don't press your luck with me!" she said, and laughed. Ron, without really knowing what he was doing, pulled her into an embrace. She looked up at him, startled. Then he leaned his face closer to hers…

* * *

"Ok," said Harry to Gandalf, Aragorn, Frodo, and Sam, "So when Gimli comes back we can ask him how things went with the goblins, and then we have to rack our brains to figure out how to get Legolas in contact with the centaurs…" 

The door banged open. Ron was standing in the doorway, paler than Harry had ever seen him. "Er…Harry? Can I have a word with you?"

"Sure," said Harry, "What's up?"

"Are you all right?" asked Aragorn, "You don't look well."

"I'm fine," gasped Ron, "Just a bit shocked…I mean, could I just talk to you outside Harry?"

"Ok," said Harry, slightly puzzled. They walked out and Ron shut the door.

"What on earth was that all about?" asked Frodo.

"I think I know," said Aragorn with a slight smirk.

"What?" asked Frodo.

Sam had his face screwed in concentration. "I think I've seen that look before…" he said slowly, "I think I've had that look on my face before, but when?" He thought for a bit. "Wait a minute," he said, "He hasn't just been…"

* * *

"You _what_!" yelped Harry. 

"Yeah," said Ron.

"You _kissed _Hermione? What made you decide to do that?"

"I dunno…she was all upset…and then I told her to quit S.P.E.W., and then she laughed…and then, I dunno, it happened!"

"Wait, what's S.P.E.W. got to do with anything?"

"Long story," replied Ron.

"Well, how was it?"

Ron thought about it. "You were right," he said, "Wet."

Harry started laughing, remembering his first, rather disastrous attempt at kissing.

"But nice too, in a way. Not like snogging Lavender."

"Yeah, that's how it feels with Ginny."

"All right all right!" yelled Ron, "It's one thing to give me advice, but keep your graphic descriptions to yourself!"

Harry started laughing so hard he had to hold on to the wall. "Thank you for the support!" said Ron.

"Oh yeah, you were _real _supportive of me and Cho!"

"Well you two weren't exactly what you would call 'made for each other'!"

"Point taken," said Harry, straightening up, "So what did she think?"

"Dunno," said Ron, "She seemed happy. She told me if this meant we were going out, not to expect her to call me 'Won-Won'…"

Harry snorted.

"Don't laugh!" said Ron, "She was kidding right?"

"'Course she was. I mean, I really don't think she's going to call you Won-Won, if that's what you're asking. But she's not holding that against you!"

"Good," said Ron, looking relieved.

At this moment, Frodo stuck his head out the door. "Are you guys all right?" he asked, "What are you doing?"

"We're just talking Frodo, we'll be in in a minute," replied Harry. Frodo went back inside. "Come on," said Harry, turning to Ron, "We can talk about this some other time."

"Yeah, alright," said Ron. He looked much better. "Let's go."


	8. The Great Whizbang Incident!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 7: The Great Whiz-bang Incident!

The rest of the day passed peacefully enough. It didn't take long for the rest of the house to find out that Ron and Hermione were now together. Nobody minded at all, except that Ron and Hermione found themselves trying to avoid Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin's constant teasing.

That evening Gimli returned. "How did it go?" asked Harry anxiously.

"Fantastic," replied Gimli, "The goblins simply adore _mithril_, they told me they only have one object in their entire bank like it! I told them I'd bring some tomorrow; we're going to do a bit of trading!"

Harry was personally very surprised that the goblins would have anything that even resembled _mithril_ at all; as far as he knew, it was native only to Middle Earth.

"So they're on our side?" asked Ron eagerly.

"I never asked them that," replied Gimli calmly.

"_What_!" cried Ron, "Wasn't that the whole idea?"

"These relationships take time," said Gimli, "I need to really gain their trust before I ask them something like that."

"But…but…when are you going to gain their trust? We need help right now!"

"Patience Ron, patience! That's the key!"

"Like you know anything about patience," muttered Ron.

"Alright then, you did really well today Gimli," said Harry, ignoring Ron, "And what about you four?"

"Merry and Pippin are the best salespeople ever!" cried George gleefully, "We made some good bargains today!"

"Did you get anything done in the way of defense?" asked Harry.

"Yeah, we managed to update the Shield Cloaks," said Fred, "They still can't truly block an Unforgivable, but they can block major jinxes now, and they may be able to lessen some of the really powerful curses."

"That's incredible magic!" gasped Hermione, "Where did you learn it all?"

"We were mostly self-taught," replied George, "Long story."

"And how's the guide going guys?" asked Harry.

"It's fantastic!" said Luna excitedly, "It's like being back in the DA again!"

"It _is _fun," admitted Ginny, "You should join us some time Harry!"

Harry grinned mischievously. "Maybe I'll stop by sometime…"

The next morning, they had all just finished breakfast when there was a knock at the door. Harry drew his wand out and peered through some curtains, only to see it was just Professor McGonagall.

"Hello Potter," she said stiffly, "How are your…friends?"

"Great!" replied Harry, "Thanks for getting them!"

"Hmmph!" went McGonagall quietly, "I came here to tell you that while cleaning out Dumbledore's office, we discovered his will. And, as it happens, he left some of his belongings to you."

"He did?" asked Harry, feeling sad, embarrassed, and a bit honored at the same time. Dumbledore had decided to leave him something! What?

McGonagall waved her wand in a complicated way that Harry had never seen before. There was a puff of smoke, and a large, red and gold bird was sitting on her shoulder.

"Fawkes?" gasped Harry.

"Yes, Fawkes. Dumbledore said in a note that you might need him. He also left you something else."

"What did he leave?" asked Harry immediately.

"Er…well, I'm not sure if you actually _inherit_ him…you see, as Hogwarts has closed and Dumbledore has died, he had written where he wanted his house-elves to go, just in case…"

"I've inherited another house-elf?"

"Well," McGonagall looked uncomfortable, "He's a bit different. You see, he's a free elf, so he expects wages and such, so if you don't want him…"

"Dobby?" asked Harry incredulously.

"You _know _him?"

"Of course I know him! I'm the one who set him free from the Malfoys! Is he here?"

"I can summon him now, if you really want him."

"Of course I want him! Send him over!"

"All right," she said wearily. Upon calling out, "Dobby!" there was a small _pop! _and a little elf in a shrunken sweater, shorts, and many different hats appeared.

"Harry Potter sir!" squealed Dobby excitedly, "Professor McGonagall says that Professor Dumbledore has said that Dobby can work for you sir!"

"Sure you can!" said Harry with a smile, "Do you want wages and days off as well?"

Dobby hugged him tightly. "Harry Potter is a kind wizard and Dobby will do whatever he wants for nothing at all!"

"That's ok," said Harry, "I want to…besides, Hermione'll go nuts if she finds out I'm not…"

"You are all very kind!" he squealed, "Dobby will ask for no more than what he received from Professor Dumbledore…" He stopped, and burst into tears.

"Wha-What's wrong?" asked Harry in shock.

"Professor Dumbledore was a noble, kind, generous wizard!" sobbed Dobby, "Dobby misses him sir!" Behind him, Fawkes struck a mournful, musical cry.

"Don't cry," said Harry, feeling both awkward and depressed, "It's all right…"

Dobby sniffed, and then hugged Harry again. "Dobby is so excited to work for Harry Potter!" he said, "But sir, is Kreacher here too?" He scowled angrily.

"That reminds me, did he arrive at Grimmauld Place?" Harry asked McGonagall.

"Yes," she replied, "We're watching him."

"Good," said Harry.

"Kreacher isn't here?" asked Dobby hopefully.

"No," said Harry. Then he remembered something. "But there is another elf here Dobby, I'll explain to you who he is in a minute. Thanks Professor McGonagall; is there anything else?"

"No," she said, "But give these to Ron and Ginny Weasley." She pulled out two large bags of gold. "Professor Dumbledore left a large amount of gold to the Weasleys."

"All right, I'll give it to them," he said, thinking how wonderful it was that the Weasleys had received so much money.

Professor McGonagall made an attempt to smile at him before Disapparating.

"Who is this other elf Harry Potter sir?" asked Dobby as they stepped inside.

"His name's Legolas," said Harry, "And he's not a house-elf, he's a lot different from you guys."

"Is he a free elf, like Dobby?" asked Dobby with wide eyes.

"Sort of," replied Harry, "He's…ah, here he is!"

Legolas had just come down the hallway. "Who is this Harry?" he asked, "And where did you get that beautiful bird!"

Fawkes had swooped over and landed on Harry's shoulder. He cocked his head and stared at Legolas with interest.

"This is Fawkes," said Harry, "He used to be Dumbledore's phoenix, but now he belongs to me."

"He's beautiful," said Legolas, and reached out to stroke him. Fawkes did not object, on the contrary, when the elf's fingers reached his feathery neck, he opened his beak and sang in pleasure.

Harry was shocked. "He's never done that before!" he said. _Wonder what would happen if we took him to Rivendell or Lothlorien? _he thought.

Dobby, meanwhile, was staring at Legolas with his mouth hanging open. "This is an _elf_ Harry Potter, sir?"

"Yes, he's a Wood Elf," replied Harry.

Dobby promptly bowed very low. "Sir must be a great elf, for Dobby has never seen an elf so noble as yourself sir!" he said with reverence.

"There is no need," said Legolas, with a mixture of pity and embarrassment.

"Dobby, why don't you go pick a room or something to stay in while you live here," suggested Harry to break the tension.

"Yes Harry Potter sir!" squealed Dobby, "Dobby will stay in whatever room you want him to stay in sir!"

"Wherever makes you happy," said Harry.

"Sir is too kind!" said Dobby before scampering off.

"Much more pleasant than Kreacher," commented Legolas.

"They usually are," replied Harry, "None of the others I've met have ever descended to Kreacher's level, he's one-of-a-kind!"

"That's good," replied Legolas, and he left to help with the guide.

Harry was still thinking about what had happened that morning while Ron and Frodo were in a heavy discussion about the uses of invisibility, when two things suddenly clicked.

"I've been so stupid!" he exclaimed, slapping himself over the head.

Everyone looked up in surprise. "What are you talking about Harry?" asked Sam.

"I know how Legolas can sneak into the Forbidden Forest without attracting attention!"

"How?" asked a puzzled Aragorn.

"My Invisibility Cloak! He'll be good with that, you can never hear an elf coming because they're so quiet, and he can just slip through the Aurors, meet the centaurs, and slip out again! No one would ever know!"

"That's a great idea Harry!" cried Ron.

"I'm sure Legolas would agree to it," said Gandalf, "Why don't you go ask him?"

Harry went immediately. Legolas didn't hesitate, but asked, "Where is your cloak?"

Harry pulled it out of his pocket. "Make sure it covers you completely," he warned, "Or someone will see you!"

"I'll do my best," he replied, and slipped it over his head.

"Here, take our Portkey," said Harry, handing him the bewitched umbrella. A hand reached out, and then the Portkey vanished into the cloak. A few minutes later, Harry had to assume that Legolas had left for Hogwarts.

Meanwhile, at the borders of the school, Aurors stood guard to make sure nobody trespassed onto the grounds. It wasn't turning out to be the most effective of systems, because the Wizarding community needed all the protection it could get, and no Auror could truly protect them while at Hogwarts. Besides, none of them, highly skilled though they were, could actually detect the intruder that was passing through their lines now. It wasn't really their fault however. None of them had ever been up against an elf before.

Legolas crept silently into the woods. Once he was sure he was out of sight, he flung off the cloak and started climbing through the trees. It didn't take long before he was in the very heart of the forest, and he was loving every minute of it. He was back in his element.

* * *

Back at Godric's Hollow, everyone was having lunch. Harry had decided to ask the others the question that he, Gandalf, Aragorn, Ron, Frodo, and Sam had been asking each other again and again: Who was this mysterious person that Voldemort knew who knew next to nothing about the wizarding world and had it in for Harry?

"I can't imagine why a Muggle would be after you," said Hermione.

"Unless it was his uncle," said Ron darkly.

"No, it sounded nothing like him," replied Sam.

"If the Dursleys really wanted to do me in they'd have done it a long time ago," agreed Harry, "But then who was it?"

"Well," said Luna thoughtfully, "There are plenty of evil Muggles. Look at Hitler."

"Who?" asked just about everyone at the table, save for Harry and Hermione.

"Adolf Hitler," said Luna calmly, "He was an evil Muggle dictator. He started World War II."

"What's that?" asked Ron.

"You know, I think Dad's mentioned it a few times," said Ginny, "It was a Muggle war, right?"

"Yeah," said Harry, "How'd you know that Luna?"

"Mum always thought it would be good for me to learn about another culture," replied Luna, "So every now and then she would take me to the library and I read about Muggle history there."

"That's it!" cried Hermione.

Everyone stared at her. "What's it?" asked Ron.

"There's a library in Hogsmeade, I'll bet they'll have _something_ on old school records…"

"You can take a Portkey when Legolas gets back," said Harry, "But that's a good idea."

"I hope he's all right," said Hermione anxiously, "Those centaurs can be brutal!"

"I myself am worried about both of them," said Gandalf, "Wood elves and centaurs! The most stubborn creatures I have ever heard of!"

"Oh no…" groaned Harry. _What have I done?

* * *

_

Legolas could hear the sound of the hoofbeats when they were miles away. He didn't mind, on the contrary, he dropped to the ground to let them find him. Within a few moments he arrived in a clearing and realized he was surrounded. There were dark shapes hidden in the trees, but they didn't dare make themselves seen yet. They waited for their leader to give the command, and he himself was not sure if what he was seeing was a threat.

There was nothing but silence. Then, slowly, the centaurs crept out of the trees, their bows raised at Legolas.

* * *

In Diagon Alley at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Pippin's favorite part of the business day was approaching.

"Lunch break!" he yelled enthusiastically.

"Wow, you're right!" exclaimed George, looking at his watch, "Take over for us; will you Lee?"

Lee Jordan, the twins' old friend from school and now a business partner, nodded and got behind the cash register. "Don't really see the point though," he said, "Business has been unusually slow today."

It was true. Almost no one was in the shop.

""Can't really blame them," said Fred gloomily, "It's the same everywhere else."

They were interrupted by a loud bang in one of the aisles and Merry saying, "Whoops!"

"Finally!" said Pippin gleefully, walking out of sight to help him, "_You _knock something over for a change!"

Then several customers screamed. The door had banged open, and at least six Death Eaters, hooded and masked, marched into the shop.

* * *

No one in the forest spoke. Then a wild looking black centaur stepped forward. "Who are you and what are you doing in our forest, human?"

"I'm not human," replied Legolas.

Several of the centaurs shifted uneasily at this. A few looked doubtful. But then a chestnut-colored centaur with long black hair said, "He couldn't be lying. No human could've detected our presence." He turned to stare at Legolas. "But you knew we were there the whole time."

The elf nodded. It was the truth.

"Who are you?" asked the chestnut centaur.

"I am a Wood elf, but I'm not from this world."

Legolas hardly expected them to believe this, it was rather unbelievable, but on the contrary, many of them gasped and took a few steps back.

"So…it's come true…" whispered the second centaur, "It has been written in the stars that people from a strange world would come to aid a great war of wizard kind. So it's come true at last, after all these ages…"

Legolas was not at all surprised to hear this. His own people liked to read the stars as well. "Yes," he said, "I am Legolas Thrandullion, and I am one of eight people from Middle Earth."

"But why are you here?" demanded the black centaur.

The second centaur shook his head impatiently. "Forgive him," he said, "I am Magorian. It is an honor to meet you."

"M-Magorian!" the black centaur spluttered in rage, "You know better than to treat a stranger like that! For all we know he could be lying!"

"Control yourself Bane!" replied Magorian angrily, "I myself have read into the planets, perhaps a bit more deeply than you, and I have surmised that elves such as these should be treated with a bit more respect then most!"

A reddish, mournful-looking centaur spoke up. "I beg everyone's pardon," he said slowly, "But now does not seem right to be arguing. We are wasting time."

Both centaurs stopped. "Very well Ronan," said Bane grumpily, "But I think I speak for all of us when I say I would like to know why this one is here right now!"

The other centaurs nodded in agreement. So Legolas began his tale…

* * *

Fred, George, Lee, and the Death Eaters stared at each other, wands raised. "What do you want?" asked Fred icily.

One of the Death Eaters, who appeared to be the head of the operation, said smoothly, "We were wondering if you would be willing to tell us a bit about those two…what are they again? Hobbits? Yes, the hobbits that have been seen coming in and out of this store."

"Not really," said George calmly.

The Death Eaters hissed angrily. "Don't play games with us," said the first one angrily, "Or you may suffer the same fate as Ollivander and Fortescue!"

"So you rats _did_ have something to do with that, didn't you?" asked Lee with a nasty look on his face.

"Yes indeed," said the man with an evil chuckle, "And if you were smart you'd cooperate with us."

"If _you _were smart you'd get out of our store before we give you a reason to always remember us!" said Fred.

Meanwhile, Merry and Pippin were hidden in the aisle. "What are we going to do Mer?" whispered a terrified Pippin.

Merry was pale. "Pippin!" he muttered, "They've been watching us!"

"Yes, and now they're in the store! What do we do?"

"But Pippin, do you realize that they know who we are?"

"All I realize," whispered Pippin impatiently, "Is that they are in here _right now_, and if we don't do something…" He turned around and saw the solution to the whole problem. "Aha!"

"What is it?" asked Merry.

"_This!_" said Pippin proudly, grabbing a box.

Merry read the label and grinned. "Brilliant Pip!"

While all this was happening, the Death Eater took a threatening step forward. "Where are the hobbits?" he snarled.

Fred turned to the others. "He obviously wants to remember us," he said.

"I'm touched," said George.

"Reckon we should teach them a lesson?"

"Definitely," said Lee.

Their wands were out faster than you could blink, there were several loud bangs, and then suddenly Merry and Pippin emerged, yelling, "ATTACK!"

The response came in the form of several giant Wildfire Whiz-bangs flying out and exploding in the Death Eaters' faces, leaving them completely distracted as their cloaks caught on fire. Fred, George, and Lee used this to their advantage, until what remained of the six Death Eaters had no choice but to retreat.

The five surveyed their handiwork. At least half of the Death Eaters were lying unconscious on the floor. Already a dozen Aurors were arriving, a little too late to have been of any real use except to arrest the men at their feet.

Merry and Pippin turned to the twins. "It never ceases to amaze me how well those fireworks work!" said Merry, "Who else would think to jinx them so they only respond to the people who release them out of their box?"

"We're just geniuses," said George, with a wink, "And the sooner You-Know-Who learns that, the better for him!"

* * *

The centaurs were utterly quiet as Legolas finished talking. Then Bane spoke. "That is an amazing tale," he said quietly, "If you are really who you say you are, then…" he paused. This was a painful thing for someone as proud as him to say. "I apologize for my rudeness before."

The centaurs gasped. Legolas just smiled. But Magorian had a more pressing issue to deal with.

"We respect you greatly," he said, "But if you are asking us to get involved in a wizarding war…that is something we simply cannot do."

"You _can't_?" asked Legolas with a mixture of anger and astonishment.

"It goes against our laws, our beliefs," said Magorian firmly. The others nodded. "We cannot, _will_ not, get involved in that which does not concern us."

"But it does concern you!" said Legolas. Didn't they understand? "The Dark Lord will not leave you alone if he rises to power!"

Bane shook his head. "The Dark Lord would never be so foolish as to try and conquer this forest," he said simply, "Any who try would only fail."

Legolas partly understood. The Wood elves had always felt the same way about Mirkwood. But after seeing the great power that came from these wizards, he wasn't as sure anymore.

"Besides," continued Magorian, "We consider it a great insult to our kind to serve humans."

"It's not _serving humans_!" argued Legolas, "It's working alongside them!"

But Magorian waved his hand aside, and Legolas began to see it was no good. They weren't seeing eye-to-eye. He gave a sigh. "I suppose you have to honor your own beliefs," he said, "I won't trouble you further."

"Is that all you had to say?" asked Magorian, but he already knew the answer.

"Yes," said Legolas, "I don't have anything else to say. Goodbye. It was an honor to meet you."

They nodded in respect and let him climb up into the trees and out of sight.


	9. Learning to Fly

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: Just a couple of answers to the most asked comments in your reviews: 1. I actually never thought of the connection between Legolas/centaurs and Merry, Pippin/Ents. Now that I look back, the similarities are there. I think that's pretty cool! 2. When is the action? The incident in the joke shop was just a preview! I can tell you, the action is coming VERY soon! There WILL be battles coming up in the next couple of chapters! As a matter of fact, the last time I checked the outline, if you count skirmishes like the one in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, there should be at least 8!

Chapter 8: Learning to Fly

That evening, Harry could tell by the look on Legolas' face when he got back that he had nothing but bad news to report. He tried to hide his disappointment, mainly because he had wondered the whole time whether or not the centaurs' stubbornness would prevail.

But what was far more disturbing was the news Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin had when they got back.

"They _know _about you!" gasped Hermione, horrified, "But…how? Nobody in this world, apart from us of course, knows anything about hobbits! They don't exist here!"

"Perhaps it _was _Sauron who Sam heard talking to Voldemort!" said Frodo fearfully.

"Let's not jump to any conclusions," said Harry hastily, "Sauron's gone, remember?"

"Well, _somebody _knew who we were," said Merry, "They probably knew our names too!"

"They could've easily figured that out," said George airily, "All they'd have to do was watch us all at the store."

"George, do you realize what you're _saying?_" squealed Hermione.

"Oh no…they wouldn't…" said George.

"Who knows what they'd do anymore?" said Ginny. As always, she looked pale but determined. "Fred, George, you'd better report this to the Order!"

"Oh yeah, and get Mum in a flap," said Fred sarcastically, "What a great idea!"

"I'm serious! Can't you two be serious for _two seconds?_" Ginny barked.

Everyone looked at her in surprise. Ginny never told the twins off. They usually had a degree of respect for each other. Luna went to pat her on the shoulder. "It's alright," she said soothingly, "You shouldn't get all upset Ginny…we're all ok…I think we need a break."

"That's the best idea I've heard!" yelled Ron enthusiastically.

"Oh…but…" Hermione began to protest, but Aragorn stopped her.

"It's a good idea," he said, "With all the tension and anxiety we could never get anything accomplished. And you'll remember we sometimes relaxed during the quest back in Middle Earth."

Hermione looked to Gandalf, who nodded approvingly. "What exactly did you have in mind?" she asked Luna.

"Oh, I don't know," said Luna cheerfully, "But we'll think of something!"

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Ron suddenly bellowed.

Everyone stared. "Don't…don't believe what?" asked Pippin.

"I FORGOT TO TEACH YOU GUYS HOW TO PLAY QUIDDITCH!"

"Oh for heavens' sake Ron," groaned Hermione, "You didn't need to shout over something like _that_!"

Ron stared at her. "Hermione," he said, "I love you. You are amazing beyond anything else. But you have one flaw, and that's your lack of interest in Quidditch!"

"He's got a point," said Harry. Fred and George nodded.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It's so nice to know you care."

"One day, you'll thank me," said Ron, "Now, you lot need brooms…"

"I'm not playing," said Gimli.

"Yes you are," said Legolas.

"No I am NOT!" said Gimli firmly, "You won't get me onto one of those flimsy things a few hundred feet in the air!"

"Ah," said Legolas, nodding, "You're afraid of flying."

"Don't even try that," snarled Gimli, "Mocking me with that smirk on your face won't work! Nothing you say will get me in the air!"

"Of course not," said Legolas. But after saying this he turned and started whispering something to Fred, who started to grin.

"What's that?" asked Gimli sharply, "What's he telling you Fred?"

"Nothing," said Fred, but he was smirking.

"Don't play games with me, both of you," said Gimli, "_What did he say?_"

"I didn't say anything," replied Legolas with an innocent shrug.

"Yes you did!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

This went on for several minutes, with the others growing more and more amused. "All right!" Gimli yelled finally, "I'll play your little game if you tell me what you said."

"I'd be happy to tell you," said Legolas, smiling, "When the game is over!"

Gimli looked close to exploding point. He grumbled something fiercely under his breath. Harry heard, amid some inaudible cursing, the words, "That is one dead elf." He hid a grin.

"All right, so Gimli and Legolas are playing," said Ron, "Who else?"

"We'll play!" said Merry and Pippin in unison, "We learned from the masters!" They pointed to Fred and George, who bowed.

"I suppose I will," said Aragorn, "If you teach me how."

"Sure thing," said Ron, "What about you Gandalf?"

"No thank you," said Gandalf, while clutching his long staff. Nobody was stupid enough to object this time.

"Frodo? Sam?" asked Ron.

"I dunno Ron," said Sam, "It sounds dangerous!"

"Oh Sam, they won't let anything happen to us," said Frodo, "I'll try for a bit."

"If you want to Mr. Frodo," said Sam, "Then I can play too."

"Are you sure Sam?" asked Hermione in concern, "You don't have to."

"It's fine," said Sam, "I can do it."

"Ok," said Ron, "So we need seven extra brooms…"

"I need one," said Neville, "I don't have one."

"Ok, eight."

"I need one too," said Luna, "I want to play!"

"All right, nine."

"We'll get them," said Fred, "We have connections at Quality Quidditch Supplies."

"See you in a bit," said George. Within a few minutes, they were back with nine Nimbus 2001s.

"How'd you afford all _those?_" asked Ron, wide-eyed.

"Two things," said Fred, "Cash and connections. Now are we going to play or not?"

"Let's go!" said Ron.

"Er, not to spoil your fun, but where exactly were you planning on playing?" asked Hermione.

"Nobody will see us," Ron said unconcernedly, "This place has Muggle Repellant Charms, remember?"

"I was thinking of Death Eaters, as a matter of fact."

"Oh come on Hermione, why would they look here?"

"Oh don't ask me," said Hermione very sarcastically, "Maybe because this is where Harry defeated Voldemort _in the first place_!"

"He hasn't found us yet."

"But he will," said Hermione, "And I don't want that to come any sooner because you all decided to play Quidditch!"

"But Hermione…the back lot…no one will see…"

"It'll be alright," said Luna calmly, "This whole point was to relax and have fun!"

"That doesn't mean we can be careless!"

"How about one of us keeps lookout, and if that person sees something, they'll let us know and we can all hide," suggested Ginny.

"Yeah, you could do that, couldn't you Gandalf?" asked Pippin.

Gandalf agreed, and Hermione gave in. Harry, Ron, and Ginny ran to their rooms for their broomsticks. The Foursome made a beeline for the door, with the others at their heels.

They divided into two teams: Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli on one team, and Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, Neville, and Luna on the other. Hermione preferred to watch them play. Harry gave his Middle-Earth friends a quick tutorial of the game, with Legolas picking it up almost instantly and Gimli and Sam almost falling off their brooms. Luckily for Sam, Frodo could tell what was about to happen and alerted Aragorn, who caught him in time. Harry could tell the two of them had good reflexes, a valuable talent to Quidditch.

"All right," he said finally, "I think you've got the basics. Let's go." He secretly felt that he would never beat a worse team.

"Got the balls?" called Ron.

"Right here," said Fred, letting the Snitch go, "Don't worry, they're bewitched, they won't leave the field." George released the Bludgers, and then tossed the Quaffle into the air.

Ginny reached out to grab it, only to have it snatched away by Legolas. With a snarl of frustration she tore after him. Luna followed, and, much to anyone's surprise, suddenly made a sharp turn and cut Legolas off. Startled, he dropped the Quaffle, and Neville caught it.

Meanwhile Harry watched as Frodo scanned the yard, looking for the Snitch. He had a good eye, and despite his lack of size and experience, he would be a good enough challenge for Harry.

At that point everyone's attention was diverted to Pippin. "GUYS! GUYS! I CAN'T STOP!" he yelled.

"PULL UP, PULL UP!" the twins were yelling.

Pippin did, and his Nimbus 2001 rocketed for the sky. "SOMEONE HELP ME! I HATE THIS BROOM! IT'S TOO FAST!"

Merry rolled his eyes. "I'll get him," he said in an exasperated tone.

"Allow us," said George. As soon as they had gone, Merry grinned slyly and started attacking with the Bludgers right and left. It suddenly dawned on Harry what the two hobbits had done.

"_They set us up!_" he groaned. With their two Beaters gone, there was no one to protect Harry's team from Merry's merciless attacks.

Neville didn't trust himself with the Quaffle and passed it to Luna, who quickly passed it to Ginny, who beat Sam at the goal. "No!" he wailed.

"Yes!" she cried jubilantly and soared to the other end of the make-shift pitch.

Then things began to get ugly, much to the dismay of Gimli and Sam, who were barely keeping up in the first place. Fred and George came down with Pippin, only to see Merry in full swing. The twins doubled their efforts and whacked the Bludgers back and forth before Merry and Pippin could touch them. On the other hand, Aragorn and Legolas had picked up on flying and were now trying tricks of their own to fool their opponents. And Frodo and Harry swooped in and out of all of them, trying to find the elusive Snitch, which was difficult despite the size of the yard.

Within ten minutes the score was tied 30-30. Then Frodo whipped around and dove for the ground. Harry gave chase, he could see the little winged golden ball now; it had gone so low that it was actually fluttering by Hermione's head!

_He'll never be able to make that catch!_ thought Harry triumphantly, and he accelerated his Firebolt, the wind whipping his hair. He stretched out his arm; Frodo did the same. They made snatches, but the Snitch dodged them both.

"Look!" cried Sam, and the others stopped what they were doing. Frodo's hand was scraping desperately against Harry's; Hermione shrieked as they zoomed past her.

"Hang on!" gasped Harry to Frodo, "It's going to be a wild ride!"

Frodo paused, Harry soared past, and before the hobbit knew what was happening Harry had the Snitch.

"HA!" yelled Ron.

"NO!" cried Merry and Pippin.

Gimli sighed with relief and descended to the ground.

"Bad luck, Mr. Frodo," said Sam.

"But you were great for a beginner!" said Harry enthusiastically, "That was the best fun I've had in a long time! You'd make a good Seeker!"

"All right," said Gimli, ignoring the others and staring at Legolas fiercely, "What did you say?"

Legolas laughed. "I already told you! Nothing!"

"I heard you whispering something to Fred! What was it?"

"If you don't believe me, then there's nothing else I can do."

"Fine! Fred, what did he tell you?"

Fred started shaking with mirth. "I believe his exact words were: 'Let's see how he reacts to _this_'."

"_What!_" growled Gimli.

"You see," explained Legolas, "_I _couldn't think of anything to say that would get you to play. So I let you use your imagination."

"Do you mean to say," breathed Gimli, looking more furious by the second, "That you didn't say _anything!_"

Legolas smirked. "That's what I said."

"You…you…"

Ginny quickly intervened. "Blimey it's getting late!" she cried, "Let's go in! I'm hungry!"

"An excellent idea!" said Aragorn, who also smelled danger, and he escorted them all inside.

A/N: I'm not sure if this would be considered a disclaimer or not, but the Legolas trick on Gimli was actually inspired by a great episode of that show, _Everybody Loves Raymond_. Maybe I'm being too specific here, but you can't be too careful in this world. Now go read the next chapter! (If it's up yet!)


	10. Howloween!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: HAPPY (belated) HALLOWEEN! Here is a (belated) Halloween present: an extra chapter!

Chapter 9: Howl-oween!

September passed into October with nothing significant happening. Of course, there were more deaths, and more dementor attacks, but for the most part, life at Godric's Hollow had reached a lull in activity. That is, nothing happened until Hermione came back from Hogsmeade a week before Halloween, looking very excited.

"Harry! I think I've found a match for R.A.B.!" she squealed.

"Who?" asked Harry, sitting up straight.

"You'll never believe it!" she gasped.

"Then how about you tell us?" suggested Ron grumpily. He wasn't in a good mood since Fred and George had just amused Merry and Pippin with impressions of him messing up as Keeper during fifth year.

"It's…Regulus Black!" cried Hermione.

"_What!_" yelped Harry, "Do you mean Sirius's _brother?_"

"Of course, it makes sense, doesn't it?" said Hermione, "Regulus was a Death Eater, so naturally he would've known Voldemort fairly well, and Sirius said he decided to back out, and was killed. Well, maybe that's how he died! Voldemort found out that he knew about the Horcruxes, and sent someone after him! And didn't you say that only Death Eaters addressed him as the Dark Lord?"

"Yeah," said Harry numbly, "That _does _make sense…"

He could barely believe that the solution to the mystery had been lying right under their noses the whole time!

"You said that your godfather used to live in a house called Grimmauld Place," said Aragorn thoughtfully, "Would the Horcrux be there?"

"It might be," breathed Harry, "That would be incredible…"

"Incredible doesn't begin to describe it!" said Ron, "How about you call Kreacher and ask him to look for the locket?"

"Will he come?" asked Hermione, "You ordered him to stay with the Order."

"He has to. I'm his master," replied Harry. Hermione winced at the choice of word. "Kreacher!" he called.

_Pop! _Kreacher appeared in the kitchen beside them.

"First he wants me to go back to the Black family house, now he wants me to come, why does Master have to be so overbearing, Kreacher wonders…"

"I missed you too," said Harry, rolling his eyes, "I need to ask you something. Have you ever seen a big locket with a snake engraving on it?"

"Of course I did! It was one of Mistress's most treasured possessions! It was found in Master Regulus's room soon after he died. But then that blood-traitor _scum_ came along and threw it away!"

"Sirius threw it away?" repeated Harry, his heart sinking fast, "Did you save it?"

"Kreacher wouldn't dare disobey his old master!"

"Yeah right," said Harry, "Did you save it? I need it, it's really important!"

"That is Master's problem, not poor Kreacher's."

"Get out of it!" snarled Harry impatiently. Kreacher gave him a venomous glance and Disapparated.

At that moment, Dobby came bursting into the room. "Was that Kreacher, Harry Potter sir?" he squeaked, "If he insulted Harry Potter, Dobby will go and clean his ears out if you wants me to sir!"

"There's no need for that," said Harry quickly. "Well," he said, turning to the others, "We're closer than we were before, but we still don't know where the locket is."

"We'll find it," said Aragorn confidently, "It had to have gotten somewhere, didn't it? We can find out from an Order member where Sirius took his family possessions."

But no one in the Order, according to Kreacher, whom Harry summoned back, seemed to know what Sirius had done with his valuables. As far as anyone knew, he had disposed of them, and that was that. And as Harry refused to tell them why he needed to know, they had no choice but to let the trail go cold for the time being.

"Mundungus would probably know," said Harry, thinking of the man who he had caught filching some of Sirius's belongings in Hogsmeade, "But he's still in Azkaban. We'll have to wait for him to be let out, that's all."

The next week was exciting for the Fellowship, especially the hobbits, as they had never heard of Halloween before. Merry, Pippin, and Sam were eager to hear about the food.

"It's a shame you couldn't go to one of the Hogwarts feasts," said Ron, his mouth watering, "They were something fantastic, they were!"

Fortunately for the group, Dobby had worked in the Hogwarts kitchens and knew exactly how to whip up a spectacular meal. With some help from the twins, who were the envoys to Diagon Alley, he secretly began planning his own little feast. The result was that on Halloween morning, Harry and his friends woke up to all sorts of delicious smells, pumpkin prominent among them! Sam took one whiff, smiled, and said, "I like Halloween!"

The girls, meanwhile, had taken it upon themselves to decorate Godric's Hollow for the occasion. Hermione was able to conjure up the usual bats to flutter around, while Luna and Ginny put up orange and black streamers. Once again, the twins were able to help out by setting off some fireworks.

In the meantime, Sam wandered into the kitchen, and began to help Dobby cook. Ron started up a chess tournament to keep everyone else occupied. It was just after a grueling match with Gimli that Ginny realized someone was missing from the festivities. She searched until she found Harry in a room, sitting in an armchair with the _Daily Prophet _in his hands, his brow furrowed.

"Oh for goodness sake Harry!" she cried.

He jumped and looked up. "Oh," he said, "I didn't know you were there."

"Come and take a break," she insisted, taking his hand, "It's Halloween!"

"Voldemort doesn't seem to realize that," said Harry, "He's got his army of werewolves on the move! I wonder what's happening to Lupin."

"Whatever is happening to him," said Ginny, "Is out of our hands. If you don't relax, I'm going to drag you away from that paper!"

"Fine, I'm coming!" he groaned.

She laughed. "One day you'll appreciate this."

"If you say so."

The day passed, and night fell, with Dobby and Sam providing a miniature of the Halloween feast. Afterwards, Legolas went outside for a breath of fresh air. Luna followed.

It was a dark, clear night. The full moon shone brightly down on Godric's Hollow. The two friends walked out into the front yard and gazed up at the sky. "It's nice out," said Luna dreamily.

"Yes it is," replied Legolas. Silence fell. For a night that was supposed to be scary, the world seemed very peaceful.

It remained that way until something reached Legolas's keen ears that he would rather he hadn't heard at all.

Luna felt him stiffen beside her. "What's wrong?"

"I heard something howling."

She shrugged, faintly puzzled. "I didn't hear anything."

"But I did. It must be far away, whatever it was." But no sooner had the words escaped him when he heard it again: several bone-chilling howls, and they were getting louder.

Luna's eyes grew wide. "I heard it too," she whispered, "What is it?"

"I don't know," he replied softly, "But I think we should get inside."

Then he felt it. Vibrations of creatures bounding closer and closer, howling louder and louder all the time. Luna whipped around. "Legolas!" she cried, "I think they're coming from _behind _us!"

"Get inside the house, quick!" he commanded. But he was interrupted by the sounds of windows crashing and screams.

"They're inside! What do we do?" cried Luna, starting to really panic.

Then came the loudest howls of all. Along with it came low growls. The two turned to see several large werewolves staring at them in the darkness.

There was a pause. Then Legolas shouted, "RUN!" They pelted for the door and dashed inside just in time before the beasts got in. Instead they landed in the door with several loud _THUDs_.

Harry burst into the hallway at that very moment, carrying Dobby. "Quick!" he bellowed, "Disapparate now!" Dobby obeyed. "Are you all right?" he demanded of Legolas and Luna, who were lying on the floor out of breath.

"Yes," panted Luna, "What's going on?"

Everyone else sprinted through the doors and slammed them shut. Nothing could be heard except for frightened breathing and the sound of the werewolves scratching at the door.

"I'll bet Greyback's leading this attack," said Harry, "We were all in the kitchen when we heard the howls. And then they burst right through the windows!"

"It was awful!" wailed Pippin. He looked pale as death.

"So they've found us at last," said Gandalf gravely.

"What are we going to do?" asked Merry.

"There's nothing we can do really," said Ron, "Except fight."

The others nodded grimly and took out their assorted weapons: wands, swords, arrows, axes, etc. The werewolves continued making a dent into the door and were swiftly making progress. Harry gulped. "Get ready," he said, "And try not to get bitten, or you'll be a werewolf too!"

Both doors crashed at the same time. Wolf after wolf leapt in from both sides. There was a crackling sound, a swish of the staff, and Gandalf sent a bright white light at the side door. Many of the beasts keeled over, dead. As they died, their bodies went back to their human forms. _So that's how it happens,_ thought Harry.

Everyone's attention was suddenly diverted to the front. A huge gray-silver wolf leapt in, its eyes glittering evilly, its fangs and claws stained a sickly yellow. Harry knew right away who it was: Fenir Greyback.

Frodo didn't know though, nor did he care. With Sting in his small hand he leapt forward with a wild cry and sunk his blade right through Greyback's heart. He let out a piercing shriek and died.

Silence fell. The wolves stopped and stared at their fallen leader, the one who had brought them together in this attack, the one who represented Voldemort, the one who had assured them that they would not fail. With sudden howls of rage they charged at Frodo, only to have spells and arrows hit them as the little hobbit scrambled back.

Harry stretched out his wand and bellowed, "_Accio sword!_" Godric Gryffindor's sword, one of his most prized possessions, came soaring forward. Together, he and Aragorn led a charge that sent what remained of the werewolves scattering in panic. It was all over.

The friends slumped to the ground, exhausted. Finally, Ron summoned enough energy to mutter weakly, "Happy Halloween!" They all chuckled.

"What did I do?" asked Frodo.

"You killed Fenir Greyback," said Harry softly, "Wait'll Lupin finds out!"

"I imagine he'll find persuading the werewolves to be much easier now that their greatest Voldemort supporter is gone," said Hermione.

Frodo looked down at his elvish dagger, slick with blood. "Sting is creating quite a history for itself," he remarked dryly.

"Why do you name your swords?" asked Harry curiously.

"Doesn't everyone?" asked Frodo.

"Not that I remember," said Ron, "But then again, we wizards have always used wands."

"Not always," said Hermione, "Haven't you heard of King Arthur and Merlin?"

"Of course I've heard of Merlin!" said Ron.

"Well, in those days, they made staffs, similar to Gandalf's and magic swords, which King Arthur had. I think his was called _Excalibur_."

"You should name your sword Harry," suggested Pippin, "It looks magical too!"

"I don't think it is," said Harry, "But that's not a bad idea. What should I call it?"

Everyone thought for a moment. "Werewolf-Bane?" suggested Gimli.

"No," said Harry, "I only killed a few. That fits Frodo's sword better."

"The Ruby Sword of Death?" asked George with a sly grin. No one answered him.

"Valor," said Aragorn, "It fits Godric Gryffindor, as well as you."

Harry thought about it. "I like that," he said, "_Valor_." He swung the sword a bit for effect. He was interrupted by a loud yawn from Pippin.

"I think we should all get to bed," said Ginny, "I'm tired."

Harry nodded, summoned an excitable Dobby back, and trudged upstairs. He put the sword on a dresser, collapsed into bed, and was out like a light the moment his head touched the pillow.

A/N: I'm learning about King Arthur, and I just couldn't resist throwing a remark in about him. And I don't know what is supposed to happen when werewolves die; I made that part up.


	11. Knockturn Alley

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: A final warning to those of you who _still _haven't read Book 6: you may find this to be a _very_ confusing chapter! I'm sorry, but this is how the story goes, and there's not too much I can change about that. And I'm SORRY for not updating. Let's just say it was a long story that involved homework, jobs, installing DSL, and the laptop not working. So let's see…we left off after the werewolf attack! Dun dun _dun_! I had this chapter planned for a LONG time, and now it's finally coming into play!

Chapter 10: Knockturn Alley

The next morning, Harry wandered into the kitchen to find Frodo sitting alone. "Hello," he said sleepily, "Where is everyone?"

"Mostly everyone's asleep," replied Frodo, "That was quite a fight last night wasn't it?"

"Yeah," said Harry, "Are you feeling ok?"

"I feel alright," he said, "I don't know about Hermione though."

"What do you mean?" demanded Harry anxiously.

"She left not too long ago for Grimmauld Place. She looked pale."

"What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know. She said something about getting help."

"From the Order?" Harry was puzzled. What could they do? Did Hermione want to move out to Grimmauld Place? Harry hoped not; he still dreaded the idea of returning there.

There was a flash of light and Hermione was back, a Portkey in hand. Next to her were Profs. Flitwick and McGonagall.

"What's going on here?" asked Harry.

"I've decided that we need the Fidelius Charm put on this place again," said Hermione in a matter-of-fact tone.

"What?" asked Harry.

"It's a good idea," said McGonagall, "Miss Granger told me you were attacked by werewolves last night!"

At that moment the front door banged open. Harry drew his wand, Frodo his sword, as they waited for the pounding footsteps to get closer to the kitchen.

It didn't take long before the kitchen door was wrenched open and Lupin flew in, pale as death.

"Are you all right?" he gasped, "I'm so sorry! I was down there with the rest of the werewolves when Greyback announces that we're to attack Godric's Hollow! He said that Voldemort thought! They didn't listen! And then I was on my way to warn you all when the moon came out…and…well I hope I didn't bite anyone in the nearby village…I'm sorry Harry! Are you all right?"

"We're fine," replied Harry, "We killed most of them. Greyback's dead too; Frodo got him."

"You killed Fenir Greyback?" asked a stunned Lupin. Frodo nodded, very embarrassed in spite of himself.

"Look," said Hermione, "We're wasting time! I brought Professor Flitwick here because he can re-do the Fidelius Charm!"

"How do you do that?" asked Harry.

"You see," said Flitwick, "The original charm was broken when the house was destroyed by You-Know-Who. Professor McGonagall has agreed to be the Secret-Keeper."

"I was thinking," said Hermione, "That we could call this the headquarters of the D.A. Sort of the way 12 Grimmauld Place is the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix."

"How do you perform the spell?" asked Harry curiously.

"It's similar to the Unbreakable Vow, although I don't suppose you've ever seen one of them before."

"No."

"It's so simple, yet so complex. You and Professor McGonagall must join your wands together at the tip."

They did so, quickly and quietly.

"Now, I will join at the tip," he said, "_Fidelius!_"

A golden glow issued from his wand, covering everyone in the room. "Minerva McGonagall," he said, "Do you swear to keep the location of Harry Potter and his friends a secret?"

"Yes," said McGonagall in her usual curt fashion.

A humming noise now issued from the wand.

"You promise that no matter what happens, you will not reveal this to anyone unless absolutely necessary?"

"Yes."

"Even to the point of death?"

"Yes."

"Then may you guard the secret long and well."

The golden light was shimmering, the humming grew louder, and then suddenly it all stopped. Harry blinked several times. The house had vanished.

"What happened?" asked Frodo bewilderedly.

"It's still here," said McGonagall, "The location of the…DA, did you say Miss Granger? Yes, the DA can be found at Godric's Hollow."

And the house was back.

"That's incredible!" cried Frodo.

"But what about the others?" asked Hermione with a frown.

And sure enough, there was a gasp from upstairs. "Merry! We're floating in the air! What's going on?"

"I can still feel the floorboards, so it must be invisible!"

"But _why_?"

"Give them this," said McGonagall. She had written instructions on how to find the group at Godric's Hollow. Hermione ran upstairs with it.

"Don't forget to destroy it when you're done!" Harry called. Then he turned to his old teachers. "Thanks Professors," he said, "We really needed that."

"Try to stay out of trouble next time Potter," replied McGonagall, and they left.

"Now what?" asked Frodo.

"We've got some work to do," said Harry, "No more relaxation. It's time to start getting things done."

"Excellent," said Fred, coming through the door, "I vote for a group meeting!"

"Not before breakfast!" groaned Pippin.

"We'll eat first," Harry assured him.

Dobby whipped up something light for each of them, and then everyone started to talk. "Did Lupin say whether or not the werewolves are still on You-Know-Who's side?" asked Ron.

"No," replied Harry, "I don't think he knows yet. He just came to see if we were ok. He didn't know anything about how the attack had gone."

"So what do you suggest we do now?" asked Aragorn.

Harry thought for a moment. "Did you guys finish the pamphlet yet?"

"Oh yes, it's done, did you want me to send it to Dad?" asked Luna.

"Sure, that'd be great!"

"I can go now," she said, "I'll use a broom!"

"Are you sure?" asked Harry uncertainly.

"Of course, I'll find my way, it'll be easy!"

"Ok," said Harry, "But maybe take Hedwig with you or something. In case you get lost. And use the Invisibility Cloak."

"And be careful," added Legolas.

"Right," Harry nodded.

Luna smiled. "I'll be fine." She took the Invisibility Cloak and swished off.

"Ok," said Ginny, "What we need to do now is find those Horcruxes! Harry, can you think of where they could be, where they've shown up before? It might give us a lead."

Harry thought about it. "Well," he said slowly, "Voldemort's mother had the locket, and she sold it at Borgin and Burkes. And then that old lady bought it, along with Hufflepuff's cup, and Voldemort stole them from her. The snake's dead, the ring's destroyed, the diary's gone, and we don't know what other relic Voldemort used to put his soul in."

"Maybe we should try Borgin and Burkes," suggested Hermione, "That's where a lot of the stuff ended up at one point in time. And we can ask about other relics from the other Hogwarts Founders."

"Are you kidding?" asked Ron, "The entire place is a Dark haven!"

"Not when we were there the last time," countered Hermione, "The place was deserted, remember? People simply don't want to be associated with the Dark arts, with the Ministry making arrests right and left."

"I don't like it," said Aragorn, "We could walk straight into a trap!"

"Do you have a better idea?" asked Hermione. He didn't. "We'll only be there a short time. And we can keep look-outs. Everything will be fine."

"We'll stay at the shop," said Fred, "If we hear anything fishy, we'll go to Tom's and raise the alarm. The Aurors'll be there in seconds!"

"Sounds like a plan!" said Gimli. He loved getting himself into life/death situations.

In the end, it was deemed that most of the Fellowship would be hidden at certain points of the alley, keeping watch. If any Death Eaters arrived, they would alert the rest of the gang as quickly and as quietly as possible.

Merry and Pippin begged to go into the shop along with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville. They agreed, as long as the two stayed out of sight. (Hobbits are quite good at that sort of thing!) After a long fight with Harry, Ginny agreed to stay home.

"It's just in case Hermione calls for help on her brooch!" he protested to his glowering girlfriend.

"Admit it, you only want me to stay behind to protect me from possible Death Eaters!"

"No, I really do need you for the brooch…"

"You could ask anyone else, but oh no, you had to ask _me_!"

"Well, Neville can't do it obviously, because the brooch doesn't work for him. And I need everyone else because…" He was going to say because they were good fighters, but that was a lousy excuse. Ginny had proven herself in battle countless times.

"I swear, if something happens to you Harry Potter, and I'm not there to help, you'll have no one to blame but yourself!"

"I'm sure that's _exactly _what will go through your mind if I get attacked!" said Harry sarcastically.

Ginny tossed her hair and left for her room in a huff.

"Well," said Pippin cheerfully, "She certainly took _that _well!"

Harry shook his head. _It's for her own good, and mine, _he thought. True, she was capable, and he _did _promise he would let her stay with them, but he just couldn't help himself. This would probably be an eventless trip, but he was still worried. _Besides,_ he told himself, _It'll look suspicious if there are too many people._

So they all set off for Knockturn Alley. The Portkey took them to the little courtyard outside The Leaky Cauldron, where they entered Diagon Alley, and made their way down the street until they reached the end and headed for Borgin and Burkes.

"Ok," whispered Hermione, "Everyone find a place to hide. We'd better go in."

She, Harry, Ron, and Neville walked in, with Merry and Pippin slinking quietly behind them.

Mr. Borgin shuffled in when he heard the bell ring, and was instantly on the alert. "What d'yeh want?" he growled.

"Excuse me," said Harry, "But would you happen to have any old relics, by any chance?"

"Like what?" barked Borgin.

"Like…say…a locket?" asked Ron.

"I've got plenty of lockets," said Borgin, "And some aren't for sale!"

"Right," said Harry, thinking fast. He knew Borgin recognized him for his scar and Hermione for having been there the previous year. He had to do this very carefully. "Could we see them?"

"Describe it to me."

"It's gold," said Harry, "And it's got an 'S' on it…"

"Why do you want it?"

"Because it used to be ours, but one of our friends sold it without telling us," said Neville. In a way, it was probably the truth. "We wanted it back."

"You know Mundungus Fletcher do you?" snarled Borgin disbelievingly.

"Yes, that's the one!" said Harry. On the inside he thought, _I'll kill him for taking all of Sirius's stuff!_

"I _may _have what you're looking for," said Borgin, "Let me go in the back room…"

It took quite a bit of time before Borgin returned, something that bothered Harry, although he didn't know why.

"This it?" growled the shopkeeper, holding up a heavy golden locket. It was a locket that Harry had seen several times in Dumbledore's Pensieve.

"That's the one!" he exclaimed.

Borgin smiled, showing crooked, stained teeth, and placed the locket on a counter. "It's not for sale."

"But it's ours!" Neville lied, "Didn't you hear me?"

"I did, but I also happen to know that this was stolen from an old lady named Hepzibah Smith. I'm not surprised it found it's way into old Mundungus's hands. Now get out."

"But…" pleaded Hermione.

"OUT!"

Suddenly there were crashing noises, and Sam yelling, "DEATH EATERS! DEATH EATERS!"

Harry didn't hesitate. "Come on!" he yelled, and they ran outside, all thoughts of the locket forgotten. Borgin forgot the locket too, as he fled as fast as his legs would carry him to the back of the store.

Outside, the group was horrified to see the familiar, hooded, masked figures closing in on the rest of the Fellowship. Gandalf had his staff raised high, and fortunately no one seemed to want to come near it. Everyone's weapons, be it sword, arrow, ax, or wand, were raised and pointed at the enemy.

Then a soft, cold voice said, "Get them."

Harry wheeled around just as the Death Eaters attacked his friends. There was genuine hatred in his eyes. He knew that voice so well. It was the voice of the man who had taught him for six years, until he betrayed and killed Dumbledore.

It was Severus Snape. He was standing nearby with an evil smile on his face, looking every bit the leader of this mission.

"_You!_" Harry yelled, shaking with rage.

Snape saw him and smirked. "Hello Potter," he said, "You've been lying low for so long; we'd all started to think you'd lost your nerve."

"I could say the same for you, you murderer!" Harry spat out. He'd forgotten everyone else was there. This had been a long time coming. They had hated each other for seven long years, and now that hatred had reached its climax. It was the beginning of the end.

"Is that all you have to say to me?" asked Snape, "Really Potter, I knew you weren't bright to begin with, but that is simply pathetic. Dumbledore would be ashamed!"

Harry let out a roar and threw himself at Snape, who dodged him easily. Snape shook his head. "You're getting worse than your dear father, and in my eyes Potter, that is no easy task!"

"_Expelliarmus!_" Harry screamed. Snape leapt to the side and backed further down the alleyway. Harry followed. "There you go being a coward again!" he yelled, "Running from the scene, are you afraid to face me one-on-one, is that it? If you ask me, _you're_ worse than your beloved master Voldemort!"

It looked like Snape was ignoring him, because he continued to run. Somewhere in Harry's enraged mind, something told him not to follow, but his heart and his legs refused to obey. He continued shooting spell after missed spell at his old professor, each one off target due to his wild anger.

Meanwhile, the others had managed to break through the circle of Death Eaters with the help of Ron, Hermione, and Neville. Frodo ran up to Merry and Pippin. "Both of you, quick!" he cried, "Get Fred and George! We need help!"

They immediately obeyed. Some Death Eaters tried to immobilize them with spells, but for some reason they bounced right off, and the hobbits escaped. The same thing was happening with the rest of the Fellowship. Nothing seemed to penetrate their armor or weapons, with the possible exception of _Avada Kedavra_, but so far they had managed to thankfully avoid that.

The commotion was so loud that people in Diagon Alley were fearfully poking their heads outside. They couldn't see what was happening next door, and they didn't want to find out. Only the twins raced outside to meet a sweating Merry and Pippin.

"Were you attacked?" inquired George. Gasping, they nodded.

Fred merely said, "Get to Tom's," and they all tore down to the brick wall. "Tom!" he yelled as they burst in, "Call the Aurors! Now!"

"My goodness!" gasped Tom, "What's happening?"

"I don't mean get them tomorrow Tom, I mean NOW!"

"Yes, yes, of course," he said hurriedly, and went for the fireplace, fumbling with the Floo Powder.

* * *

Spells flew everywhere from both sides, ricocheting off walls and bodies. "DUCK!" screamed Hermione, pushing Ron out of the way before several bricks crashed onto their heads. Smoke from wreckage was everywhere, and hardly anything could be seen for a few seconds.

Gandalf whirled past them and struck the big, blond Death Eater down. "Both of you grab the others and _run!_" he commanded.

"No!" squealed Hermione, "We have to stay! What if something terrible happens?"

"Hermione, if this isn't something terrible, I'd really like to know what that is!" shouted Ron.

Aragorn appeared, wild-eyed and breathless. "Go!" he said, "Don't worry about us, just GO!"

"But…" protested Hermione.

Neville came up and pulled at her arm. "Come on," he said frantically.

Hermione didn't want to leave. Someone was missing. And in a few minutes, they'd all hear exactly where that someone was.

* * *

Harry didn't take his eyes off Snape, even as he rounded a corner behind a shop. He turned, only to find the evil man lying in ambush for him.

"_Expelliarmus!_"

Harry was lifted into the air and slammed into the wall. He lay there dazedly, trying to pull himself together. Snape leered over him, seething.

"I have told you never to call me 'coward'," he hissed, "You think you're very clever, coming into Knockturn Alley like that. I have watched you more closely than you realize. I was the one who discovered your other friends in that infernal joke shop, back in August, the ones from another world! The Dark Lord was _very _interested in that piece of information. And I was the one who discovered where you were all hiding! I have seen those two hobbits go into Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and the dwarf go into Gringotts day in and day out! I am much greater than you, and there you stand, smirking and calling me a _coward!_ No Potter, I don't care if you are reserved for the Dark Lord alone, I am going to finish this right now!"

Harry looked up into the insane, enraged face, just in time to see the wand pointed directly at his forehead. It was too late for him to move…

"_Crucio!_"

The effect of this curse was enough to cause Harry more pain than he had ever remembered feeling in his life. He screamed, jerked, and twitched, longing to do anything that would make it stop. Dimly he registered Snape laughing, running footsteps, and his own voice feebly calling out for help.

Then, suddenly, it stopped, although Harry couldn't see why. Everything hurt so much, his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he felt someone gently lift him up and carry him away. Someone whose hands were wet with blood. Harry could hear yelling and crashes all around him before he blacked out.

A/N: Weeeellll, I suppose that's a weird way to end a chapter, but I wanted to leave y'all in suspense! I suppose it was a bit angsty too, which is unlike me, but that's what I wanted to happen, so I wrote it. The good news is: I can reply to you guys now! Yay! Oh, and don't worry, I'm working on Chapter 11, and there will be a full explanation of what just happened in there! Happy New Year!


	12. The Thirst for Revenge

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 11: The Thirst for Revenge

"Are you _sure _he's not dead?"

"Neville, for the millionth time, he's still breathing!"

"But that doesn't mean he hasn't gone mad or something! What if he has to go to St. Mungo's?"

"He's fine, look, he's coming around now!"

Harry slowly opened his eyes and blinked a few times. Neville, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Aragorn were sitting around him, looking pale and drawn.

"Harry!" squealed Hermione and Ginny at the same time.

"Where am I? And where're my glasses?"

"Right here mate," said Ron, taking them off a small table. Harry put them on and got a more detailed look at where he was: his room at Godric's Hollow.

"What happened?" he asked, "There was a battle, and I chased Snape down the alley, and he…he…"

"We know," said Ron, "We saw it."

"How did you find us?"

"It wasn't too hard, first we wondered where you were, and then…"

"And then we heard the screams," said Neville, shuddering.

"But Snape? What happened to him? One moment he was trying to kill me, and then I just blacked out!"

Everyone looked at Aragorn, who looked at the ground.

"What?' persisted Harry, "What did you do?"

"Like Ron and Neville were saying, we heard you screaming, and we knew right away it was you, and Aragorn just took off down the alley," said Hermione.

"We could barely keep up with him," added Ron, "And then we rounded a corner, and we saw Snape standing over you…"

"And I realized what was going on, and told everyone it was the Cruciatus Curse…" said Neville.

"And?"

Aragorn now looked embarrassed. "I put a stop to it," he said quietly.

"That's an understatement!" cried Ron, "He went completely berserk! I've never seen anything like it, not even with Eomer, and we all know what _he's _like when he gets mad!"

"But what happened? What did you do with Snape?"

"Don't you get it?" asked Ron. Harry shook his head.

"Harry," said Hermione softly, "Snape's…_dead_."

"He's…what?" asked Harry.

"Dead," Ron repeated, "I can't say I'm surprised. I don't think anyone could've survived what Aragorn did to him!"

Harry shuddered. "Well, that wasn't such a bad thing," he said as calmly as possible, "He boasted to me that he's been spying on Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and us, for a while. He saw us that day in Diagon Alley, before Bill and Fleur's wedding. But he didn't get a chance to report it to Voldemort until the next morning. And that's what he was coming to tell him when Sam listened in."

"Well, there's one mystery solved," said Hermione wearily.

"So they waited until they could ambush us," said Harry, "Which was in Knockturn Alley."

"We shouldn't have gone there," said Hermione, "We didn't even get the locket from Mr. Borgin."

At that moment the door opened and Gandalf poked his head in. "Ah Harry! You're awake! That's good. How are you feeling?"

"Fine Gandalf," said Harry.

"I just wanted the rest of you to know that if you don't leave the room this instant and get some food and sleep, which you haven't gotten since yesterday morning I might add…"

"Yesterday morning?" asked Harry, "How long have I been out?"

"Long enough," was Gandalf's short answer, "But as I was saying, if the rest of you don't do as I say, I have hired certain people to drag you out themselves. And they are quite eager to do it too!"

As if to seal the deal, Pippin's voice came from the other side of the door. "Can we get them now? Please?"

"We want to test out our latest product!" cried Fred and George eagerly.

"Come on Gandalf, open it!" encouraged Merry.

"All right, we're coming!" said Hermione hastily. She took Ron's hand and led him out of the room.

"One minute," said Ginny. She turned and gave Harry a stern look. "Don't _ever _do that to me again!"

"Sorry," he said with a sheepish grin, "You know how I am; I should probably just stay in this bed, because I'll be back in no time!"

She smiled and kissed him. "Let me know if you need anything!"

"See you mate," said Neville, who looked more cheerful now that he knew Harry would pull through.

Aragorn looked at Harry seriously. "I will be back," he said.

"Go ahead. And thanks Aragorn!"

"Don't mention it!" was the reply. He left and the Fearsome Foursome bounded in.

"Feeling better?" asked Fred cheerfully.

"Not yet," Harry groaned.

"This'll cheer him up! Look what we filched from Borgin and Burkes!" said Pippin. With a dramatic flourish, Merry reached into his pocket…

…and pulled out the locket!

"How…how did you…"

"Told you, we nabbed it right when Sam sounded off the alarm that the Death Eaters were there! For all his work in the Dark Arts, Borgin sure fled at the sight of the battle!" said Merry eagerly.

Harry placed it reverently in the drawer in the table by his bed. "We'll figure out how to destroy it as soon as I get better," he said. "Thanks guys!"

"Group hug!" yelled George, and they all tackled him on the bed, laughing and letting go of all the worry and tension of the past few hours.

* * *

Aragorn was barely drinking his tea. His mind was in other places, places far from Godric's Hollow. It was back in Lothlorien, when the Fellowship had been about to set out down the Anduin River…

* * *

(Flashback)

Lady Galadriel stepped back from Aragorn, letting go of the necklace her granddaughter, Arwen, had given him. Her eyes traveled over to Harry, who was practicing swinging his new sword, not yet known as Valor.

Aragorn followed her gaze. Worry was etched in his face, which Galadriel saw only too clearly. They were both worried. Harry was still so young in their eyes, he didn't deserve to go through all this, and yet he had to. Merry and Pippin were now eagerly bounding around him trying to get him to practice fighting with them, since all three of them had new swords. Harry was fending off all their attacks easily.

"He's good," said Aragorn softly, almost to comfort himself, "And he did well against those orcs in Moria…"

"But he is not an expert. And much depends on him," replied Galadriel.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that he will be the one who decides the fate of his own world." Galadriel gave Aragorn a piercing stare. "You must look after him. Always. Don't let him know that you're doing it, but all the same, keep him out of danger as best as you can. Don't let anything happen to him Elessar."

(End of Flashback)

* * *

Aragorn had promised, and he had tried to live up to it. Not so much because of what Galadriel had told him, although that played a role somewhat. It was mostly for the growing, genuine affection he had for Harry. True, he had not always done the best job, (the time they both fell off a cliff on the back of a crazed warg came to mind) but still, he had done the best he could, and they had both survived.

He took another sip from his mug, and clenched it in renewed fury as he remembered the terrible events from last night…

* * *

(Flashback)

The battle was evenly matched, but Aragorn was getting increasingly worried. He couldn't see Harry anywhere. Neither could Ron or Hermione or Neville, and they wouldn't leave without him.

"Where is he?" gasped Neville.

"I don't know!" said Ron.

"Wait a minute," said Hermione with growing horror, "Where's Snape? He's not here either!"

"I should go and look for…" Aragorn was cut off by sudden yells that filled the air. The sudden chilled his blood. He didn't need to be told who was making them…

He ran, sword gleaming, down the twisted alleyway, behind a store, and then froze in horror. Ron, Hermione, and Neville skittered behind him.

Harry lay on the ground, jerking and twitching, his entire face screwed in pain. Snape, whom Aragorn had met only once before, was standing over him with his wand pointed downwards, laughing insanely.

"It's the Cruciatus Curse!" squealed Neville, who was extremely pale.

The words woke up Aragorn. Wave after wave of genuine fury and hatred came crashing down on him, until his whole body seemed deluged in anger. This man was attacking one of his youngest, greatest friends, and nothing short of death was going to stop him now.

Snape, of course, wasn't paying attention. He didn't know Aragorn was there until the ranger was almost on top of him. He turned around and Aragorn struck with a ferocity he didn't know he had. Over and over again he drove the sword in. Snape's wand fell to the ground, soaked with blood. Harry stopped screaming as the curse was lifted, and it was then that Aragorn looked up, in time to see his friend's eyes roll to the back of his head as he lay, moaning on the ground.

Aragorn picked him up gently. "Harry?" he murmured urgently, "Harry?"

Harry just let out a feeble groan and went unconscious.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" From behind them all, a Death Eater screamed, pointing his finger at the ranger. The man turned and fled, screaming "HE'S DEAD, HE'S DEAD! SNAPE'S BEEN KILLED!" Later, Gandalf told the ones behind the shop that panicked seized the Death Eaters on hearing this, and they all Disapparated. Meanwhile, Aragorn had picked up Harry and carried him away, not stopping to sit down until he was sure that Harry was safe in his bed at Godric's Hollow.

(End of Flashback)

* * *

Now the Fearsome Foursome _still _wouldn't let Aragorn near the end of it.

"Can we do a reenactment again?" begged Pippin as they ran into the kitchen.

"Certainly not! That's enough out of you Master Took!" said Gandalf grumpily.

"DIE Snape!" yelled George, tackling his twin. The hobbits jumped onto the pile and pretended to stab "Snape" to death.

"I didn't say that," grumbled Aragorn, but he let them have their fun. Telling those four to stop fooling around was like telling a noisy, disobedient puppy to stop barking.

In the meantime, Gandalf noticed that a certain royal was barely touching his plate. Neither were the young wizards in the room, for that matter. "_Eat!_" he barked. They all jumped and started shoving food down their mouths.

There was a knock at the door, some hurried footsteps, and Legolas calling out happily, "Luna!" She had sent them an owl the night before, saying her dad wanted her to stay overnight, since he had missed her.

No one had the heart to tell her what had happened.

Luna came in a few minutes later with Legolas in tow. Aragorn stared. Fro some reason, the sight made him uneasy. He put it from his mind for the time being.

"What's going on?" asked Luna, "Legolas is telling me something happened to Harry?"

"He's doing much better," said Gimli as he marched in, "I just saw him."

"Is he awake?" asked Legolas.

"Yes, he's sitting up."

"Why? Did he get attacked?" asked Luna.

Together, the others told Luna about their experience in Knockturn Alley. It wasn't until they got to the end that Gandalf noticed someone was missing.

"_Aragorn!_" he groaned. Both plate and chair were empty. "Sit down!" he said to Ron and Hermione.

"But…" protested Ron.

Gandalf flashed him a Look.

"Ok, ok," said Ron, backing off.

Gandalf closed his eyes and wished that Harry would make a speedy recovery…for the sake of everyone else's health!

* * *

Harry lay in bed, wishing he could drift off again. He was in one of those phases where he was very tired, too tired to do, but at the same time, couldn't sleep. He hated it. His head was still pounding, and he wanted to relieve himself of the pain more than anything.

Aragorn came in to see Harry in this current state. "You look terrible," he said.

"Oh thanks," groaned Harry sarcastically, "_There's _something I needed to hear!"

"What else was I supposed to say? You're the picture of health? You'd know I was lying."

"Well now, don't I feel better!"

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault," sighed Harry, sinking further back into the bed, "That's the fourth-no the fifth time you've saved my life. I really owe you now."

"Five times? I don't remember saving you five times."

"Oh yeah? What about Amon Hen, when you killed that general Uruk-hai before I was overwhelmed? Or the warg fight, when we fell off the cliff, and you woke up and got me to Helm's Deep? Or the Department of Mysteries, when you…"

"Don't forget that moment at the Black Gate, when _you_ saved _me _from the troll."

"Yeah, 5:1. I still owe you."

"And when you helped Legolas pull me up at Helm's Deep?"

"Ok, I'm getting there! Give me a few more near-death experiences and we'll be square!"

Aragorn chuckled, but then got serious. "How are you feeling?"

"Not perfect, but I'm doing better. You?"

"I'm not the one who was put under a curse."

Harry sighed. "I'll get better. This can't last forever. And when I do, I'm prepared to head right back in there and start avenging myself!"

"Then perhaps I should let you rest."

"No, I'm not tired…" At that moment Harry let out a big yawn. Aragorn raised his eyebrows. "Ok, I'm a little tired, but I can't sleep anyway."

"Oh, didn't Hermione give you this? It's some sleeping potion I think. She brewed it herself." Aragorn picked up a small bottle. Harry took a sip and was out in a few seconds.

* * *

Several masked men entered the candlelit room, carrying a body. They dropped it at Harry's feet. He rose from his armchair by the fire and clenched his long white hands in fury.

"What happened?" he hissed, "_Who did this!_"

One of the men answered nervously, "My Lord, it wasn't our fault. You see, Snape, well, he tried to kill the boy on his own. At least, that's what we _think_ happened…"

"But?"

"One of the men, the one with the very long sword…" the man's voice trailed off.

"The ranger?" asked a more commanding voice to Harry's left, but he found he couldn't turn his head to see who it was.

"Yes, that was the one!" echoed several others.

"What about him?" asked Harry. He had a feeling he already knew.

"The last time I saw Master, he was stabbing Snape on the ground! Then he picked up the boy and ran off. The others followed."

"Of course," breathed the voice to Harry's left, "Of course…that is something he would do. He and Potter were becoming quite close the last I remember. Those heroic kings are always the same."

Harry had heard enough. He was enraged. A Muggle had killed one of his best men! Fury that he had never experienced before was coursing through him. Hissing like a demon, he whispered, "I will kill him! I will kill all of them! They have stood against me for far too long! And I will end it personally for them if it is the last thing I ever do! That will teach Potter once and for all exactly who he is dealing with!"

The realization hit Harry and he let out a horrified scream. "NOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Harry? Are you all right? What's happening?"

"Someone get Gandalf!"

Harry woke up, but didn't understand where he was. "No!" he moaned, "Not my friends! I need them!"

"Harry?" called a frantic voice. Part of his brain told him it was Ginny's, but the rest of him couldn't comprehend a thing.

"Help me…someone get Aragorn…they're gonna kill us…"

"Wake up you idiot, you're fine!" Harry's eyes flew open and he yelped as Ron hit him across the face.

"Wha…Ron?"

"Stop acting all crazy will you? What's wrong?"

Harry blinked and stared. He wasn't in any room filled with Death Eaters. He was in his own room, with everyone staring at him.

"Sorry guys," he muttered, "Nightmare."

"Again!" cried Hermione, "But Dumbledore said you wouldn't have them anymore! He said Voldemort would block you from his mind!"

"He was really angry," replied Harry, "He's never been this angry before. He just heard what happened to Snape."

"Harry, how did you see this? You weren't supposed to anymore!" insisted Hermione.

"Sometimes," said Gandalf, "Even the most skilled wizards can slip when their emotions are high."

"Yeah, he's not thrilled about the fact that he's being beaten by Muggles," agreed Harry.

"I wonder if it's causing him to lose his grip?" wondered Ron.

"I wouldn't count on it," said Gimli, "Angry or not, I believe that if this dark lord is anything like Sauron, this will only encourage him to continue his evil quest."

A week passed, and then another. Harry was recovering slowly but steadily. Neville, who was the expert on this particular matter, assured them all that this was normal, and that Harry was getting better nicely. Nobody had any reason not to believe him, but that didn't stop them all from sticking close to Harry's bed day and night in shifts! Harry, for one, enjoyed the company. Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin made him laugh, Ginny was an amazing source of comfort, and Aragorn, Ron, and Hermione were always there, which gave him a sense of safety and protection.

Finally the day came when he felt good enough to get out of bed and walk around a bit. Aragorn helped him down to the kitchen where Dobby and Sam fought over who was going to make him something to eat. In the end, Harry found himself eating one of the biggest breakfasts he had ever seen in his life!

When he was finished, he said, "Gandalf, do you think you can destroy the Horcrux we got?"

"It can't be too difficult," he replied, "No different from when I expelled Saruman from King Théoden, I would think."

Pippin ran upstairs to get it, and set it on the kitchen table. "Stand back!" Gandalf commanded. He raised his staff and held out his hand as if clenching the air. The locket trembled violently for a few seconds, and then slowly, a silvery, smoky something came out. Gandalf brought his staff down, a burst of light shot out, and the Horcrux was gone. The locket gave one last tremble and lay still.

Gandalf sighed deeply and sank into a chair. "That took most of my strength," he said. Then he reached out and examined the locket closely. "I can sense no more evil in it," he said, "Now Sam, how about cooking a second breakfast? I need to replenish my energy!"

"I'm on it Mr. Gandalf sir!" said Sam eagerly, and he set to work.

A/N: I hope you're all satisfied! LOL! I'm having lots of writer's inspiration right now, so I'm hoping to get Chapter 12 out soon! I guess I can't make any promises of course, but I'll try!


	13. The Season of Love

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 12: The Season of Love

It was now December, and almost Christmas. Nothing much had happened, the Order had been able to repel a few Death Eater attacks, according to _The_ _Daily Prophet_, but it almost seemed to Harry as if Voldemort was biding his time again. This worried him, because when Voldemort schemed, it never led to anything good.

Meanwhile the hobbits were thoroughly excited to hear about Christmas, which they had never celebrated before. They especially seemed to like the idea of giving and receiving presents. "Really nice ones," explained Harry, "Not just the inexpensive ones you give out on birthdays!" All hobbits gave and received presents on their birthdays, but they weren't very big. How could they be, since they had to buy enough for everyone?

"When is Christmas?" asked Pippin.

"December 25," replied Harry.

"But how are we going to get presents when we never leave this house?" asked Sam.

"We'll use the Owl Order System of course," said Ron, "How else did you think we got each other presents when we had to stay at school? And that reminds me Harry…"

"What?" asked Harry.

"Mum sent me an owl. She wants to know if we want to spend Christmas at the Burrow. Everybody's allowed to come! I wasn't sure if you'd think it was too dangerous…"

"No, I'd love to! Tell her we said yes!"

And so with that, their entire Christmas plans had been made up. But there was still the matter of what to get certain people.

"Er, Ron?" asked Harry one day, feeling very awkward, "What should I get Ginny for Christmas?"

"A broomstick? How should I know?"

"She's your sister."

"Oh yeah. But it'll have to be different for you I suppose."

"Yeah," said Harry, nodding fervently.

"Well, now that you mention it, I was just going to ask you what you thought I should get Hermione."

"You've been getting her presents for six years! Why should this year be any different?"

"Trust me Harry, this year, it's _very _different!"

"She'll like whatever you get her!"

"I guess so…" said Ron slowly. He thought for a minute. "What about Dungbombs?"

"I stand corrected."

Just then Sam burst in. "Has anyone seen Aragorn?" he said, "I need some advice!"

"I haven't seen him," said Ron, "But come join us Sam! You're a married man, maybe _you_ can tell us what to get our girlfriends for Christmas!"

"That's what I was going to ask Aragorn! I don't know what to get Rosie!"

"She's your _wife!_"

"That makes it even worse! It has to be something really special!"

"Well, that's not going to help us! What are we going to…"

Ron was interrupted by Legolas coming in. "Good, _you're _here," he said, "You've got to be a 1000 years old; _you_ tell us what to get a girl for Christmas!"

"Er… that's what I was going to ask you," said Legolas, growing steadily red in the face.

"You've got to be kidding!" cried Harry, "Who do you want to get a present for?"

"It's none of _your _business!"

"Come on Legolas, just say who it is, we won't tell!" exclaimed Ron eagerly.

"It'd better not be Ginny or Hermione!" said Harry.

"No."

"Is it Luna?" asked Ron, cracking up.

"No."

"Is it another elf?"

"No."

"A human then?"

"No."

"Are you going to say no even if we get the right answer?"

"Yes."

"Come on!" cried Ron, "We won't laugh at you!"

"Oh yes you will!"

"No we won't!"

"I know you Ron. You'd laugh whether you knew the person or not."

"I would not!"

Finally Aragorn walked in. "What's going on in here?" he asked.

"Aragorn! What would you get Arwen for Christmas?" asked Sam.

"And who does Legolas here fancy?" asked Ron.

"_What?_"

"I never said that!" protested Legolas.

"Yeah, but that's what you meant!" said Ron.

"First, I've never really considered it Sam, because we've never celebrated Christmas before. But I suppose a nice pair of earrings would be good. Something silver, to go with her necklace…" His voice trailed off and a dreamy expression came on his face as he imagined Arwen looking all dressed up. Ron gave him a few seconds before bringing him back to earth.

"Who does Legolas fancy?"

"No one!" insisted Legolas. Harry noticed how red his face was and didn't believe him.

"What makes you think that?" asked Aragorn sternly.

"He just asked what to get a girl for Christmas!"

"Legolas, what's he talking about?" demanded Aragorn. They looked around. But the elf was no where to be found.

"He fled! I say he's guilty!" said Ron.

"Aw, leave him alone," said Harry. He knew what it was like to love someone and not want others to know about it.

"Yeah, well…" Ron sat back down. "But you would think…I mean, I'm supposed to be his _friend…_" He paused and mulled over this for a bit. "What was it you were saying again about Christmas presents?" he asked Aragorn.

"Earrings," said Sam, who was busily writing this on a piece of paper.

"Right," said Ron, promptly taking out a sheet and writing "earrings" on it. Harry did the same.

At this point Frodo came in. "What are you all doing?" he asked.

"Coming up with presents for that special someone," said Aragorn with a wink.

Frodo looked at their lists. "Er…are you _all _giving your girlfriends earrings?"

"Why not?" asked Ron, "We can't exactly come up with anything else!"

"What about flowers?" suggested Frodo.

"Good idea Mr. Frodo," said Sam, "I'll put that too!" Harry and Ron also started writing "flowers" on their lists.

"No, I didn't mean for all of you…oh, never mind!" said Frodo, chuckling in spite of himself.

Meanwhile, Dobby was baking cookies in the kitchen, and soon the whole house smelt like Christmas. Then there were jobs like wrapping presents that had to be done. It was then that Sam noticed a problem.

"How are we supposed to get these gifts back to the people in Middle Earth?"

Aragorn looked at his wrapped presents. It was true. He had one for Arwen, one for Lord Elrond, and one each for Elrond's sons, Elladan and Elohir. Everyone had also gotten gifts for people like Eomer, Eowyn, and Faramir. Sam had something for Rosie. Legolas and Gimli each had something for their fathers. But there was no way to get them there.

"Could you make another time portal?" asked Pippin.

"I suppose so," said Hermione, "But that's rather risky. I don't know for sure if it would open up to Rivendell if there were _three _portals."

"Do you want me to slip through the lines and get there?" asked Legolas.

"Yes, I suppose that would be best," said Hermione.

Soon it was Christmas Eve. Early in the morning, the group took a Portkey to the Burrow. They landed in the kitchen, where a thrilled Mrs. Weasley was there to greet them.

"How are you all?" she asked anxiously, giving out hugs, "I heard what happened to you with the werewolves and Knockturn Alley! Are you feeling better Harry?"

"Yeah, thanks Mrs. Weasley!" said Harry, "Will you have room for all of us?"

"You and more dear," she replied, "With Dumbledore's money we've been able to extend the house a bit. And we have a new house-elf too!"

"Really?" asked Harry as calmly as possible, trying to ignore the fact that Legolas had stiffened behind him. "Who?"

"Oh, it's Winky, that house-elf you lot met at the Quidditch World Cup."

"Winky? How's she doing?"

"A little better. She was terribly upset at first, but she's been doing alright working for me. I hope she recovers in time…"

"Long story," muttered Harry as Legolas began to open his mouth.

Mrs. Weasley was right though. She _had _expanded the house, by adding a few more floors. The Fellowship settled in and were perfectly comfortable, although they had to share rooms. That afternoon, Bill, Fleur, Lupin, and Tonks arrived. Tonks was much more herself now, and was forever talking to the boys about Quidditch and asking Fred and George how their joke shop was going. Lupin was pleased to inform the others that Voldemort's werewolf army had been much subdued and was almost extinct thanks to the battle outside Godric's Hollow. However, he was still working on converting them; it would take a while to work past years of hatred and resentment.

The next morning, Harry woke up to find a huge pile of presents by his bed, as usual. And as usual, Ron was already half-way through his pile.

"Cool!" he said, "Look at the knife Gimli got me!"

"He sure has a one-track mind," said Harry, as he opened up his own present from Gimli: a throwing axe.

"And…a complete Chudley Cannons flying set! Thanks Harry!"

"You're welcome," replied Harry. He'd gotten a sword sheath for Valor from Aragorn, the usual candy from Ron, a book on defensive spells from Hermione, a model of the Golden Snitch from Ginny, which had their initials engraved in it, mushrooms from Sam,and an issue of_The Quibbler_from Luna, among other things.

Then they went downstairs for breakfast. It was noticed that both Hermione and Ginny were wearing their earrings. Before they began eating, Ron stood up.

"If anyone received an anonymous pair of earrings this morning, will you please come forward?" Silence. "Anyone?" asked Ron. No one came forward. Disappointed, he sat down again.

"Nice try Ron," said Legolas.

"It was worth a shot," mumbled Ron.

That night, they had a scrumptious feast, most of which was prepared by Mrs. Weasley and Sam. Then everyone settled into chairs around the fire and just relaxed in a happy, lethargic sort of way.

Suddenly, Luna got up and made for the door. "Where are you going dear?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"I won't be long," she replied.

A few minutes later Pippin announced that he was hungry. "You just ate a whole dinner!" cried Merry.

"Well, I'm hungry again."

"How could you possibly be…" George stopped when he noticed Pippin was winking at them. "Might as well come along," he said.

They all hurried into the kitchen. "What?" asked Fred.

"I'm suspicious of Luna," said Pippin, "I want to know where she's going!"

"I see her outside," said George, peering out the window, "Legolas is with her."

"_Is _he?" asked Fred eagerly, and they all dashed for the window. The pair outside looked perfectly innocent. They were just sitting on one of the garden benches, talking. But why were they talking in the snow?

"Time to take out the ol'Extendables," said Fred. They each placed one in their ear, which slithered out to the garden. Soon Legolas and Luna's voices could be heard perfectly.

"You sent me those earrings, didn't you?" she was asking.

"Yeah," he said, "Thanks for not saying anything!"

Four identical mouths dropped open.

"It was no problem," she said, "I thought Ron might've been up to something."

"Just like we knew _you _were up to something," breathed Pippin excitedly.

"Did you send me those arrows?" asked Legolas. Luna nodded. "How on earth did you get them?"

"I made them!" she said proudly.

"You _made _them? They're gorgeous!"

"I worked on them for weeks!"

"_Weeks? _They look like they could've been made by an expert!"

"Thank you!" she said happily, "Do you really like them?"

"I love them!" he said.

"Wow," said Fred.

"Say…what are they doing?" asked Merry.

"Oh my…" gasped George.

"Merlin…" breathed Fred, "Someone get the camera!"

* * *

Neither Legolas nor Luna knew quite how they were feeling right now. Being kissed for the first time can be a strange and wonderful experience, and although both of them were happy, both were secretly wondering if they were even doing it right. Especially Luna. She had never so much as held someone's hand before. But somehow it all felt…right.

"GEORGE, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GET IT!"

Startled, Luna broke away and looked towards the house. "What's happening?" she asked, reminded of Halloween night.

"THE CAMERA! WHERE'S THE CAMERA?"

"Oh no…" said Legolas. He walked over and picked up some flesh colored strings. "Luna? What are these?"

"Extendable Ears!" gasped Luna.

"Oh no!" moaned Legolas.

"HEY EVERBODY! GET OVER HERE QUICK! THEY'RE SNOGGING! THEY'RE SNOGGING!"

Legolas's face was now as pale as the snow. "Quick!" he cried, "They'll never believe those four if we act innocent!"

"What can we possibly talk about?" asked Luna as they sat back on the bench.

"Uh…uh…how's _The Quibbler _going?"

"Oh it's doing splendid!" said Luna happily, "Everyone wants to read it now, ever since Harry's article!"

"The only reason why I'm asking you this here," added the elf, with a quick glance at the kitchen window, where he saw everyone watching, "Is because I was afraid they'd start making fun of it in the living room."

"Oh they wouldn't do that," said Luna, catching on, "That only happened at Hogwarts…"

* * *

Back in the kitchen, everyone turned to stare at a crestfallen foursome. "Nice try," said Harry.

"But…but…he mentioned the earrings…" Pippin stuttered.

"She's not wearing any earrings!" said Ginny, "Really, how ridiculous! How many times do I have to say it: _Legolas and Luna are not in love!_"

"Go pick on someone else!" snarled Hermione.

"Like you?" asked Fred with a sly grin.

"You know what I mean!" snapped Hermione.

"Don't ever do that again boys!" scolded Mrs. Weasley, "You could've really upset both of them! No wonder Legolas didn't want to talk about that newspaper to Luna in front of you!"

With that, everyone filed out of the kitchen, the mortified foursome last of all. "Nobody mention this to Luna," said Ginny, "It would just upset her."

"And don't mention it to Legolas either!" said Gimli.

A few minutes later, the elf and human in question came into the kitchen, trying to hide their laughter. "It worked!" said Luna, beaming, "You're brilliant!"

"So are you," he said, and kissed her again. She left the room in a happy daze.

Legolas started to leave too, when a soft voice said, "Stop right there."

Legolas jumped and whirled around. Stepping out of the shadows was Aragorn. "Oh, it's only you!" he said, blushing, "How'd you do that?"

"I'm a Ranger, remember?" said Aragorn. It was then that Legolas noticed his friend wasn't smirking as would've been expected in this situation.

"What's wrong?" he asked in concern.

"_What were you thinking?_" asked Aragorn icily.

"I…what do you mean?"

"How could you do that? Have you lost your mind?"

"No! Are you suggesting how I feel is insanity?"

"That's exactly how I'm starting to feel right now!"

"Why? Because Luna's not an elf?"

"She's _sixteen_ Legolas! You're more around sixteen _hundred!_"

"She's wise beyond her years!" Legolas shot back.

"That has nothing to do with it!" snarled Aragorn.

"It has everything to do with it! Who are you to tell _me _how to feel?"

"There are plenty of nice elven maidens! Why couldn't you fall in love with one of them?"

"Like _Arwen_, you mean?"

Aragorn froze. Legolas had touched an especially raw nerve. "You know," the elf continued, "One would think, after all the support I've given you and Arwen, you might show some back in return…"

"Don't even go there!" shouted Aragorn, "Don't you understand? This is exactly why I don't want you and Luna together! I don't want you to get hurt the same way I know Arwen's going to be! Even now, after we're married, I _still _feel guilty about it!" He was breathing very fast.

Legolas didn't say anything. He felt bad for his friend, but he wasn't about to change his mind. So he did the only thing he could think of: storm out of the room.

Aragorn stayed behind for a long time, occasionally kicking out at something, and still breathing heavily. Finally, he too left the kitchen. What he failed to notice was one very frightened hobbit hiding in the shadows behind the door. Sam had heard the whole thing.

A/N: No, I did not end Legolas and Aragorn's friendship. Yes, they will be back together soon. So please lower your weapons. Thank you. The NEXT two chapters are ones I'm looking forward to writing! So fasten your seatbelts, this ride's about to get even more interesting!


	14. Things from the Past

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: Erm, yeah. I'm ashamed of myself. I didn't update for several reasons: 1. Physical illness 2. Writer's block 3. Laziness. I promise you, I _will_ finish this fic. We are actually at the halfway point already! YAY! On with the story...

Chapter 13: Things From the Past

"You're becoming quite the eavesdropper Sam," said Frodo, after he had finished telling the others everything he'd heard.

"I couldn't help it Mr. Frodo!" said Sam, "I was just going to get a bite to eat when I heard 'em shouting at each other! I didn't mean anything by it!"

"No one's blaming you Sam," Harry reassured him.

"So they _are_ in love!" said Ginny. She looked stunned. "I can't believe it!"

"Neither can I! I thought I knew him!" said Gimli.

"Luna deserves it though," said Neville, "She's been really lonely all this time."

"I can't believe this! Wait'll I get Legolas!" cried Ron jubilantly.

"No one's going to 'get him' for that Ron," said Hermione sternly.

"Ahem!" said Fred.

Everyone turned to look at the foursome. "What?" asked Harry.

"I believe you owe some people an apology?" asked Merry.

Everyone rolled their eyes, cleared their throats, and said in a resigned sort of way, "You were right; we were wrong!"

"Thank you!" said Pippin smugly.

Suddenly the door creaked open. "What's going on in here?" asked Aragorn, stepping in, "Are we having some sort of meeting?"

"Uh…not really…" said Ron.

"What are you doing?" asked Aragorn.

"We're…er…sort of…"

"Sam overheard you and Legolas fighting!" said Pippin.

"PIPPIN!" everyone shouted.

"Oh dear…" said Pippin sheepishly, "It just slipped out…"

Aragorn sighed heavily. "I'm sorry if we frightened you Sam," he said. Sam, however, simply hung his head.

"Did you guys make up?" asked Merry.

"Not yet," said Aragorn, "But it's really none of your business."

"If two of our best friends are fighting, I'd say it is our business!" countered Harry.

Aragorn didn't know how to respond. "Ah, come on mate!" said Fred, "Just let it run its course!" In an undertone he added, "…while we have our fun in the meantime…"

But the ranger wasn't the only one shaking his head. "You don't understand Fred," said Hermione, "This isn't some flippant little matter! Love for elves is very serious, especially when it's someone from another race!"

"Which is exactly why I felt the need to step in," finished Aragorn.

Harry had mixed feelings on the subject. On the one hand, he thought Aragorn might have a point. Anyone who considered themselves a true friend would be compelled to give their dissent if they thought their friend was involved in something dangerous. Also, it _was_ a strange relationship. But at the same time, he knew from experience that it was stressful enough to fall in love with someone without your best friend criticizing it!

Hermione, however, gave Aragorn a pitying look. "Listen, I know he's your best friend, and you want to help, but it's really none of _your_ business. Didn't it ever occur to you that Legolas might be _happy_ as he is?"

"He's happy now, but give it a few decades…"

"He's smart; he'll make the right decision," said Hermione comfortingly. When Aragorn still looked uneasy, she rolled her eyes. "Men," she said, "You know everything there is to know about battles and swordfights, but when it comes to practical matters, like love, you're hopeless!"

"Battles are practical!" said Harry defensively.

"I should've said that differently. What I meant is, it's clear that you're all fighters, not lovers."

"To each his own," replied Frodo, "But I don't mind leaving those areas to you Hermione!"

* * *

A week passed before the group left for Godric's Hollow. This was mainly due to the fact that Mrs. Weasley didn't want them to leave. She kept insisting that they stay longer, and Harry didn't put up much of a fight. For once, he could pretend everything was normal. 

Tonks was overjoyed, since apparently, on Christmas night, while everyone else was distracted, Lupin proposed to her! They were planning on getting married in the summer, and both appeared to be even more jovial than usual. Meanwhile, Bill and Fleur had left to spend another Christmas in France with the Delacours, to which the other Weasleys wished them the best.

The group from Middle Earth was also introduced to Winky, the house-elf. Mrs. Weasley treated her both kindly and sternly, giving her plenty of work to do, which Winky appeared to thrive on. Everyone was careful not to mention the Crouch family to her. Not only that, but with the gold that Dumbledore had given them, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were in the process of renovating their house. It was proving to be a bit difficult however. Neither could agree on how they wanted it to look. Mrs. Weasley had flat out refused to add a room devoted to Muggle devices, but she suspected Mr. Weasley might be making such a shed anyway, a little away from the house where she couldn't see it. He'd taken to sneaking out of the house carrying all sorts of things: plugs, batteries, Muggle toys and the like. But she'd never been able to prove what he was doing.

Meanwhile, Aragorn and Legolas appeared to have reached a silent truce. No one was quite sure whether they were still angry at each other or not. They were friendly when other people were around, but no one knew if they spoke to one another outside of that. However, it had been agreed by everyone _not _to mention Legolas and Luna's relationship to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, as it would make things all the more complicated.

It was after a week had ended that things began to start happening again.

It all started when Harry, Aragorn, Ron, Neville, and Frodo were sitting in the Weasleys' living room, discussing anything that came to mind. What Ron wanted to talk about most was Quidditch, but Harry kept thinking about his unfinished mission.

"We still need to find something of Gryffindor's or Ravenclaw's, not to mention Hufflepuff's cup, and I have no idea where either of them are or where to begin looking!"

"Try to think Harry," said Frodo, "At least you've seen the cup before. What did it look like?"

"It was gold, and it had two handles," said Harry, "And it had a badger on it. That's how he knew it was Huffle…"

SMASH!

The men whirled around. Standing behind them, trembling, a polishing rag in her hand and a broken ornament at her feet, was Winky.

"You…you is wanting Master Barty's cup!" she squealed, "Why does you want Master Barty's most treasured possession?" She burst into tears.

Mrs. Weasley came hurrying in. "Oh dear," she sighed, "Whatever did you say?"

"All I was saying was that we were looking for a cup…" said a flabbergasted Harry. At the word "cup", Winky wailed harder.

"M-Master B-Barty loved that c-c-cup!" she sobbed, "H-He used to k-k-keep it in his r-room! He n-never would let anyone t-t-touch it, not even m-me!"

Mrs. Weasley bustled her out of the room, leaving behind a stunned silence.

"Well, now we know where the next Horcrux is," said Ron, "You-Know-Who must've given it to Barty Crouch Jr.!"

"Of course!" said Neville, "It makes sense! Harry, you said that You-Know-Who gave one of his Horcruxes to Mr. Malfoy, right?"

"Yeah," said Harry, sensing the connection, "He must've given some of them to the most important Death Eaters that he knew he could trust!"

"Although he couldn't trust Malfoy," said Ron with a smirk.

"Harry," said Frodo, "Do you know of any other Death Eaters that Voldemort might've given bits of his soul to?"

"Sure," said Harry, "Snape, for one."

"I doubt Voldemort would want a bit of his soul that close to Dumbledore," said Aragorn.

"You never know," replied Harry, "There's also Dolohov, they used to go to school together, and…"

"The Lestranges," said Neville, his face slightly paler.

"That's several possible names right there," said Harry.

"Yeah, but how do we get them?" asked Ron, "We can hardly go bang on their door and say, 'Excuse me, but do you have any bits of your master's soul, and if you do, could you please give them to us so we can destroy him?'"

"No, but I reckon it's time we got back to work," said Harry, "What do you think?"

"I'm ready when you are," said Neville. The others agreed.

Hermione was particularly intrigued by this latest development, and promised to work on a solution that involved breaking into several Death Eater homes. Mrs. Weasley, as was to be expected, was less than thrilled with the idea.

"If you want, Harry dear, I can have some members of the Order check those houses out for you…"

"I'll be fine Mrs. Weasley," said Harry, although he secretly doubted it.

"But why on _earth _do you want to go in the first place?"

Harry hesitated. He had only let the residents of Godric's Hollow in on his and Dumbledore's secret, the reason being that Dumbledore's portrait appeared to give it the go-ahead. But he flat out refused to tell anyone else. "It's just that one of them might have something that could help me finish off Voldemort," he said, which was true enough, "And I need to check it out personally."

Mrs. Weasley believed him, but he had not convinced her at all that what he was doing was necessary.

When the group arrived back at Godric's Hollow, the first thing Gimli did was head for the kitchen. The twins, who had been prank-starved in the presence of their mother, couldn't resist tripping him on the way in.

Gimli yelled and dropped his axe as he fell to the ground. Admist the twins' laughter, the dwarf heard a hollow ringing sound that the axe made when it hit the floor. He jumped up.

"Sorry Gimli," Fred was chuckling, "We couldn't resist."

Gimli wasn't listening. He had picked up the axe and struck it hard against the floor. He heard the same ringing noise.

"What're you on about?" asked Harry.

"There's something under here, I'm almost certain of it," said Gimli.

"Like what?" asked Legolas.

"Like a room," said Gimli.

"Maybe there's a hidden cellar," said Hermione, "You should try and get to it Gimli!"

"I already am lass," said Gimli. He was bent over, chipping away at the mortar that held the stone floor together. Harry could see that the dwarf was a master craftsman. He could tell where the mortar was weaker and where it wasn't. Silent, completely and happily absorbed in his work, Gimli soon managed to locate a stone trapdoor hidden among the other parts of the floor. It reminded Harry of the secret passage to Honeydukes.

"And there it is!" said Gimli triumphantly. The door opened up to utter darkness.

"_Lumos!_" said Harry, and he led the way down a series of steps into a low room. The other wizards lit their wands so that everyone could see better.

Hermione was right; it was an old cellar. But it was more than that. As Harry's eyes searched the room, Ron called out, "Look at this!"

There were two trunks against the wall. One had the initials 'L.E.'. The other read: 'J.P.'. Ron opened the first one. "It's your mum's old school truck Harry! And this must be your dad's!"

Harry felt a jolt as he touched his mother's old school robe. He was holding his parents' belongings! At last he had found some evidence of them once living here!

"Look!" cried Pippin eagerly from the other side of the room, "Canned preserves!" The other hobbits rushed over eagerly.

Harry wasn't listening. He had proceeded to James' trunk while the girls examined Lily's. As he rummaged around he saw a rolled up piece of parchment.

"Your mum had some lovely things!" said Luna, eyeing a silver butterfly hair clip.

"What's that Harry?" asked Hermione, "May I see?" Harry handed it over. She unrolled the first and gasped. "It's a family tree!"

"What?" cried Harry eagerly, coming over to see.

"Yes, it traces all the way back to…oh my goodness!"

"What's wrong?" asked Aragorn.

"Harry's ancestry traces all the way back to…_Godric Gryffindor!_"

A shocked silence followed, as everyone stared at Harry.

"What's that mean?" asked Sam, "Is Harry royal?"

"No, but he's the heir of a famous Hogwarts Founder," said Hermione.

"That explains your riches!" said George, thumping him on the back.

"_And _how I got the sword," said Harry, "Galadriel must've known who my ancestors were."

"It is rightfully yours then," said Gandalf.

Harry looked at Valor with renewed interest. He had actually _inherited_ it…it was a very strange thought.

"What's the other thing?" asked Neville.

"What thing?" asked Harry.

"This thing. It's all rolled up."

Harry went back to the trunk. It was a rolled up tapestry. He unfurled it and saw a picture of four people. They all waved to him. At the top was the title: _The Four Founders_. Under each person was their name. Harry easily recognized Salazar Slythering, a crafty-looking man, with a pale face and the same black hair as Voldemort's had once been. He also recognized the bold-looking Godric Gryffindor. Then he noticed something else, as he ran his wand over the tapestry, and dropped it in shock.

"No _way_."

"What's up mate?" asked Ron.

Harry looked more closely at the tapestry. His eyes were not playing tricks on him. "I don't believe it," he whispered.

"What's wrong?" asked Aragorn anxiously.

Harry stood up. "Legolas? Can you sneak me into Hogwarts under the Invisibility Cloak?"

"Why?" asked a startled Legolas.

"I need to get back to Middle Earth _right now!_ Hogwarts is the only place with the time portal!"

"What's up?" asked Ron. He picked up the tapestry and stared at it. "_Whoa!_" he said suddenly, "Harry? Is that…?"

"I think so," said Harry, "Well? Can you take me back?"

Legolas stared at him, and then nodded slowly.

A/N: What did Harry see? Why must he go back to Middle Earth? Will he make it there? All the answers and more in…THE NEXT CHAPTER! Dun, dun, dun!


	15. Ravenclaw Revealed

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: I am SO sorry about this guys! I really am! I'll try to do a better job at updating from now on! I know I've been doing this a lot lately, but to leave you guys for over a month on a cliffhanger…that was just mean. I'm sorry, I had no idea it would take this long to write! But you probably don't want to hear my stupid excuses, so here's the next chapter…

Chapter 14: Ravenclaw Revealed

Hiding four people under Harry's Invisibility Cloak, and sneaking past the Aurors, was no easy feat. But Harry, Hermione, Legolas and Luna managed it. It helped of course, that with the war raging there were almost no Aurors to be spared for guarding adeserted school. It had become the job you got if you were not on the best of terms with the rest of the Ministry.

Everyone had wanted to go back to Rivendell, but Harry knew they would never fit, so he chose Hermione and Luna. Hermione was picked because she wanted to visit her friends, the elves, again, and Luna wanted to see them too. Neville also wanted a glance at Middle Earth, but Harry wanted him to stay at home, just in case there was an attack. He knew that Neville was one of their best fighters and would serve a better purpose in his own world.

They crept inside the castle. It was dark and empty. Harry felt his heart throb with sadness as he stared at the place that had once been his home. It was utterly desolate. Then Hermione prodded him and they continued to the seventh floor.

There was the Room of Requirement, and there was the time portal. Only when in the room with the door locked did the group feel safe enough to throw off the cloak. "Right then," said Harry, "Let's go."

"Harry, what's this all about?" asked Hermione. Harry had rolled up the tapestry and told no one what he had seen, nor why he wanted to get to Middle Earth so badly.

"You'll find out soon enough," said Harry, and he dashed through before anyone could ask any more questions. The other three followed.

Rivendell was just as beautiful as Harry remembered. He walked out onto a balcony and savored the happy feeling that was flooding through him. He was back in Middle Earth! He was back, and it felt wonderful! A soft wind blew through the trees and seemed to whisper a greeting. His hair was blown back; it felt very refreshing.

"Harry Potter? What are you doing here?" Lord Elrond was walking towards him, with a look of shock on his face.

"Lord Elrond!" Hermione came racing out of the library happily.

"Where is everyone else?" asked Elrond.

"Only a few of us could come at a time," said Legolas, "This is Luna Lovegood. She's a friend of ours."

Luna smiled graciously as the two shook hands. But Harry had more pressing matters to deal with.

_I take it you were looking for me?_

Harry jumped and spun around. Lady Galadriel was standing there, smiling widely.

_What are you doing here?_ he asked.

_A question I should be asking you._

_Well, you already know why, don't you?_

_That I do. So you guessed the truth? I hope you are not angry._

_No, not angry…but…_ He suddenly decided to speak aloud. "You've been to my world before! Why didn't you tell us? And you didn't just visit, you _lived _there! I found a picture of the Hogwarts Founders, and Rowena Ravenclaw looked exactly like you!"

Galadriel's smile faded ever so slightly. "It's a long story," she said. They ignored the astonished faces of everyone else. "I did live in your world, for a time. Back in the First Age, the worlds were all connected by the elves' ships. I was heading for Middle Earth from Valinor when my ship took a wrong turn. However, I liked your world, so I decided to stay. I did many things there, one of which was to found Hogwarts."

"But why did you leave?" asked Harry.

"I didn't want my friends to know who I really was: an elf of certain nobility. I was very young at the time and wanted to experience life in a different way. So I made up the name 'Rowena Ravenclaw'. But eventually my friends: Godric, Helga, and at one point, Salazar, began to age, while I did not."

"It would have given away the fact that you were immortal," said Harry.

"Exactly. So I left, and this time I made it to Middle Earth, where I established Lothlorien."

"I can't believe this!" gasped Hermione, "_You founded our school?_"

Galadriel nodded. Legolas looked just as shocked as Hermione. "But I never heard of the elven ships having that sort of power!"

"Well, I'm not surprised. The elves decided a long time ago it would be better not to meddle with other worlds' affairs. We have enough problems in our own. Since then we haven't discussed it, and only the elves who lived in the First Age remember."

"Maybe I shouldn't have made the portal!" said Hermione, feeling alarmed.

"No, you were very helpful to us, and since no harm has been done overall, I think you made the right decision."

"Speaking of which, how goes the war in your world?" asked Elrond.

Harry and the others quickly brought Elrond and Galadriel up to date. "Actually, there's another reason why I wanted to see you," said Harry, "Can you think of anything you might have left behind in Hogwarts, which Voldemort might've used as a Horcrux?"

For the first time, Harry saw that Galadriel looked scared. "What's the matter?" he asked.

"If I helped that man practice his evil magic in any way, even indirectly…"

"You'd make up for it if you could help me destroy him," said Harry.

"Well…let me think. I obviously left many books there, but I doubt they'd be what he had in mind…I had some things that were far more valuable…"

"Books are valuable!" Hermione cut in.

"I don't think he used a book Hermione," said Luna suddenly, "Because he already used his diary, remember?"

Galadriel, however, was growing more and more agitated. "Nothing in particular is standing out, it was so long ago!" she cried.

"It's ok," said Harry, "We've got time." Her reaction to this whole situation was scaring him.

"I'll think about it," said Galadriel, "And I will let you know if I come up with anything."

"In the meantime, you can stay here," said Elrond. They thanked him and picked some rooms for the night.

For the rest of the afternoon, the group re-explored Rivendell. However, it was clear to Harry that its beauty was starting to fade. Ever since the One Ring had been destroyed, the Elven Rings had also lost their power. It made Harry sad to think that the elves' beauty and power were waning. But he had more pressing matters to deal with. "I'm worried about Lady Galadriel," he said, "I've never seen her that shaken."

"Elves like her are pure good," said Hermione, "To hear that she may have aided the forces of evil in such a way is abominable to her."

"But it's not her fault," protested Harry.

"It doesn't matter," said Legolas, "I know I would feel terrible if Voldemort used one of my belongings to hold his soul." He shuddered. Apparently the idea of splitting one's soul took some getting used to.

Much to Hermione's excitement, Arwen was in Rivendell as well. Faramir and Eowyn had taken over ruling Gondor while Aragorn was away, so she had decided to visit her relatives, in particular her father and brothers. She was happy to see them all, and to hear that Aragorn was alive and well. "And how are you Harry?" she asked.

Harry shrugged. "Better now that I'm back here. I missed Middle Earth!"

Arwen smiled. "That's good to hear. I wanted to ask you something, but I want you to listen to what I have to say before giving your answer."

"What's that?"

"When you return to your world, I want to come with you."

"_What?_" asked Harry. He hadn't been expecting this, and in all honesty, his immediate answer would be "no". He couldn't let another person fight his battle, and he didn't want to see the look on Aragorn's face when he brought her back.

"Yes. Please don't say no. I want to help!"

"But what about your father?" asked Hermione.

"Weren't you the one who encouraged me to stick up to him?" asked Arwen, grinning.

"Aragorn would kill me," groaned Harry.

"Never mind that, I will deal with him," said Arwen.

"But why do you want to come?" asked Luna, "Don't you want to visit your family?"

"Yes, of course! But I also do not enjoy staying away from Aragorn for this long while he is in danger. I miss him very much, and I want to stay with him during this time. He needs me, and I think you all need an extra bit of assistance as well."

"We wouldn't mind that!" Hermione admitted.

"So would you mind if I came?" asked Arwen.

Harry thought about it. He came to the conclusion that no matter how hard he tried, he was not going to be able to protect his friends by keeping them out of the fight. He needed to get over that, and he needed their help. There was just no way around it. "Sure," he said, "You can come."

"Thank you!" she replied, beaming, "And don't worry about Aragorn's reaction. He won't mind, after I talk to him."

"But are you sure Arwen?" asked Hermione anxiously, "Don't you remember what happened with Sauron? You almost died because of the evil spreading in the world!"

"I'll be fine," said Arwen, "I've gotten stronger. Besides, this is a different world, so who knows what will happen?"

"Arwen, I'm the last person to say this to you, but if you start to feel sick, you should leave immediately. You won't be helping Aragorn if you die," replied Hermione sternly.

Arwen nodded. "I understand. I'd better tell my father about my decision." She left.

Hermione looked at Harry. "What do you think?"

"I think it's her choice, and I'm not going to interfere."

Hermione laughed. "What made you change your mind so fast? You weren't like that a few days ago!"

"I know, but I also realize I can't keep turning you guys away, so I've been trying to make the effort to change."

"That's good to hear. Because…and don't take this the wrong way Harry…"

"What?"

"I feel a little…insulted, when you won't let me help. Ginny feels the same way. It's like you don't think we can handle ourselves!"

"That's not true!" protested Harry, "The reason I don't like you guys getting involved is because of what happened to Sirius and Dumbledore. They died because of me, and I don't want that happening to anyone else!"

"I know Harry," said Hermione softly, "But you _did _promise Ginny, and Ron and I already told you where we stand on this. And as for our Middle Earth friends, I think they've proved themselves in battle, haven't they?"

"Of course they have, and…" It was then that Harry noticed something. "Where'd Legolas and Luna go?"

They looked around, but the pair had gone. "I thought they were right here," said Harry. Then he saw them. They were walking into the trees together. "Do I even want to know?" he asked.

Hermione smirked. "Oh grow up! It's not like you've never taken a walk with Ginny before!" She noticed Harry was blushing. "You really _are _as bad as Ron, you know!"

"Shut up," he said. They both laughed.

Later on Luna explained to them that she had been looking to see if any Bobbincocks were hiding in the trees. "They bring you good luck if you catch them!" she explained.

"Can I ask you something?" Harry muttered to Legolas, "How do you put up with that?" The elf laughed and shrugged. Apparently it was just part of what he loved about Luna.

Finally at dinner, Galadriel emerged. She looked much better, but still anxious. "I've thought of something!" she said, "I used to have a tiara; Godric gave it to me for Christmas. I lost it back at Hogwarts, which made me sad, because it was so beautiful. You would know it if you saw it, it's made out of _mithril_."

"_Mithril?_" asked Hermione, very surprised, "But I thought that didn't exist in our world."

"It used to, but I think such mines are gone now. It was a very valuable possession of mine, and I was very upset to lose it. But it seems to me it would be the exact sort of thing Voldemort would use for a Horcrux."

Harry agreed. "Can you think of anywhere it might be?"

"Normally, I would say Hogwarts, but that's probably out of the question since it's with Voldemort now. No, I have no idea where it might be."

"We should go back and search for it," said Legolas.

"Unless you can think of anything else," added Harry.

"No," said Galadriel, "I've been thinking harder all afternoon than I've done since the War of the Ring, and nothing else has crossed my mind."

"Then we'd better get going," said Hermione.

"Wait," said Elrond, "You might as well spend the night here and go back in the morning. You need some rest, and no time will have passed, so you won't be missing anything." The group agreed. Elrond also agreed to let Arwen go to Hogwarts with the others, even though they could all tell he wasn't happy about putting his only daughter in danger again.

The next morning farewells were exchanged and everyone prepared to leave. Harry took one last, long look at Rivendell. He would definitely have to pay another visit when he wasn't so busy.

Meanwhile, Elrond and Arwen were saying goodbye. "Are you sure about this, my daughter?" he asked.

Arwen smiled sadly. "I'm sorry," she said, "But I need to do this." She gave Harry a stern look. "And I don't want you and Aragorn coddling me. I have made my choice, please respect it."

Harry nodded. "Don't worry about it."

"Be sure to find that tiara, Harry, and destroy it as soon as possible," said Galadriel, "I will try to watch from my mirror, but that is all I can do, and even I don't know if it will show me your progress." Harry understood. He had already seen how her mirror worked, and you could never predict what it was going to show you.

Hermione went first, quickly followed by Arwen. Then Legolas and Luna walked in together, and finally Harry. Unfortunately, all five of them could not fit under the Invisibility Cloak. Fortunately Arwen and Legolas knew how to get past people undetected, espceially when the people were a few bored guards. Like experts, they waited for just the right moment to slip in and out without making a sound. The humans followed under the cloak, and they headed back to Godric's Hollow together.


	16. A Cupful of Trouble

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 15: A Cupful of Trouble

When the group arrived home, they immediately headed into the kitchen where they found Sam baking. After the hobbits had discovered the canned preserves down in the Potters' cellar, they had immediately gone to see if they were still good to eat. Fortunately for them, Lily's excellent charms had held out over the years. They were still as fresh as the day she bought them in Diagon Alley.

"We're in the middle of a war," said Harry, "And all you guys can think about is food?"

"We're hobbits!" replied Merry, "We can't help it!"

At that moment Arwen entered the room. Sam dropped his spoon into whatever it was he was stirring. "My lady," he said, bowing rather clumsily, "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I came to help with the war," said Arwen.

"But why?" asked Pippin. Arwen was about to reply, when Aragorn stepped into the kitchen.

"Hello Harry, did you find what you were looking for?" he started to say, and then stopped. His mouth dropped open. "_Arwen?_"

"Hello Aragorn," she replied, "You don't seem happy to see me."

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, "I thought you were staying in Minas Tirith!"

"Well, Faramir and Eowyn were running the kingdom just fine by themselves, so I decided to visit my family in Rivendell," she said, rather cheerfully under the circumstances, "Then Harry, Hermione, Legolas, and Luna showed up and I decided I wanted to come back with them."

"But Arwen…" Aragorn started to say. She hushed him.

"Hermione made me promise that if I started feeling ill, due to the darkness in this world, that I would leave immediately. Does that make you feel better?"

"I suppose," said Aragorn, very unconvincingly.

Arwen laughed her musical laugh, one that was sweeter than even most elves'. "Please, Aragorn! You know I can take care of myself!"

"Come on, even _I _told her she could come!" said Harry.

"Right," said Aragorn, "I'll be speaking with _you_ later." But looking around, he could see he was vastly outnumbered. Deep down, he really was happy to see Arwen. It had just occurred to him how much he had missed her. But a hero always has his reputation to protect. "Very well," he sighed, "I suppose it's all right with me if you stay."

Arwen's face lit up and she kissed him. It was the couple's bad luck that Fred and George decided to walk in at that precise moment. They looked like they had each received an extra large present. Then Arwen broke away and saw them. Her face grew stern. "Don't even think about it boys." To the rest of the room's shock, they obeyed, sitting down next to Merry and Pippin without one snide comment.

_Unbelievable,_ thought Harry, _She's just as tough as Ginny!_

Once Arwen had settled in, Gandalf and the others wanted to know why Harry had gone to Rivendell and what he found out. Most of them were shocked about Galadriel's past, except Gimli and Gandalf. Gimli said it didn't surprise him in the least that the fair elven queen could accomplish so much, even in Harry's world. As for Gandalf, he expressed no surprise whatsoever, and Harry had a feeling he already knew.

"So, do you know where the tiara is?" asked Ron.

"No," said Hermione, "Galadriel has no idea. She's very worried, so we have to find it quick!"

"Well, while you guys were on your way to Hogwarts, I sent Pigwidgeon to Dad with a note asking if he could help us find Mr. Crouch's house," said Ron, "At least we know that house won't have any Death Eaters in it."

"Really? Thanks Ron," said Harry, "Are you sure it won't be swarming with Ministry officials?"

"I asked Dad," replied Ron, "I'm hoping he answers soon."

Mr. Weasley responded almost immediately. Pigwidgeon returned at breakfast the next morning. The letter said that he could provide them two hours starting at noon tomorrow- in which they could use Floo Powder to come and go from the Crouchs' without getting caught. After that they would be on there own. "Will that be good enough?" asked Neville anxiously.

"Let's hope so," replied Harry.

So the next day they used some more Floo Powder to get to their destination. The Crouchs' house was so dusty, it made Grimmauld Place look immaculate. With no house elf to look after it, and in the hands of Voldemort for a few months, it was not surprising it had fallen into such a state. It was also creepy, with a dead aura surrounding it. You could almost sense what had gone on here.

"It's sad," said Sam, "It looks like it used to be a very nice house." Having looked after Frodo and Bag End for so many years, he found such disrepair to be depressing, almost as depressing as an unkempt garden.

But Harry knew the clock was ticking. "Come on," he said, "We have to find the cup!"

They spread out and searched everywhere. This would not be an easy feat, because Barty Crouch's house was huge and his son would've hidden his master's Horcrux very carefully. Hermione and Gandalf were especially meticulous. They were using different spells to reveal hidden passageways and rooms, leaving no stone, or wall, unturned.

But as their time limit drew to a close, the Fellowship began to realize that their efforts were coming up fruitless. They all met up in the kitchen to discuss the matter.

"It's possible he kept something like that with him at all times," suggested Ron, "I know I would. Maybe he left it at Hogwarts."

"He can't have, or Dumbledore would have found it," said Harry, "They probably searched the whole room for Dark objects."

"Would that elf, Winky, know where it is?" asked Aragorn, "She seemed to know a lot about it."

"Probably, but she'd never tell us," said Harry.

"Oh that won't be a problem," said Fred.

"Why not?" asked Harry suspiciously.

"Don't worry Harry, just leave it to us," said George cheerfully.

"I'm worried," said Harry.

Legolas also looked uncomfortable. "Remember that you are speaking of someone from _my _race," he said warningly.

"We're not going to hurt her or anything!" protested George, "But if it makes you feel better, we'll let Harry give it a go first."

Harry had no doubt that his attempt would be fruitless, and the twins knew it. But he decided to try anyway. So the Fellowship paid an unexpected visit to the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley was understandably shocked. "What are you all doing here!" she asked, "Are you in trouble?"

"Not really," said Ron, "Harry needs to talk to our house elf."

"You…what?"

"She might know something that can help us defeat Voldemort," explained Frodo, "Can we see her?"

"Of…of course!" said Mrs. Weasley, "She's probably dusting right now."

Winky was actually making the beds, and she was clearly not happy to have so many visitors disturbing her work. But she maintained a gracious attitude at first. "May I help you, sirs and misses?" she asked in her squeaky voice. Actually, only Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the hobbits managed to fit in the tiny bedroom; the others had to listen and wait outside.

"Yes Winky," said Hermione, "We were wondering if you could tell us about that cup that belonged to Barty Crouch Jr."

As predicted, Winky burst into tears.

"Oh, don't cry!" Hermione begged, rushing over to the little elf. Winky paid no attention to her advice.

"Why d-does you w-want to know about Master's c-cup?" she choked out, "Why must y-you be so n-nosy?"

"Winky," said Harry seriously, "That cup might be dangerous, and we need to find it. Do you know where he might've hidden it?"

"It's only a c-cup," she sobbed, "It i-isn't d-dangerous!"

"If it was only a cup, why did it mean so much to him?" asked Harry.

"I d-don't know!" Winky wailed, "I-it was always his favorite, and then he lost it!"

"_What!_" everyone shouted.

"When?" asked Harry urgently.

But Winky glared at him. "I'm not going to tell _you!_" she said, "You isn't deserving to know! Oh poor Master Barty, he was so angry and upset when he lost his favorite cup!" She burst into renewed tears.

"Please Winky!" begged Harry, "We have to know!"

"Your old master was a terrible person, can't you see that?" asked Frodo, "I know you were close to him, but he was keeping something that could destroy this world! You need to tell us where it could be!"

But Winky didn't believe him. She refused to say another word. Feeling desperate, Harry turned to the others waiting in the hallway. Fred and George were at the front, and they were grinning. "Is it our turn?" asked Fred.

"Yes," groaned Harry. The twins motioned for the others to leave the room, then shut the door. "What have I done?" wondered Harry.

A few minutes later they came out beaming. "He lost it at the Quidditch World Cup!" said George proudly.

"_The Quidditch World Cup?_" cried Hermione.

"Yep. When he escaped into the forest. Makes sense, doesn't it?" said Fred.

"How on earth are we going to find it?" she asked weakly.

"How are we supposed to get there?" asked Aragorn.

"How did you do that?" demanded Ron.

The twins grinned. "It's a secret, I'm afraid," said Fred.

"We have special powers!" said George.

"No you don't," said Ginny suddenly. The others turned to look at her. "I just figured it out. Winky's the family house-elf. You're both members of the family, so you can order her to do whatever you want her to do or say."

The twins deflated. "True," said George, "So true."

"_That_ was your brilliant plan?" asked Merry.

"Well it may have been simple, but none of you came up with it!" protested Fred.

"Is she all right?" asked Arwen, with a pained expression on her face. She had not been happy when Aragorn explained to her the situation regarding house-elves.

"Perfectly fine," said Fred, "Though we may need to send Mum up there with a butterbeer or two," he whispered to Harry, who rolled his eyes.

Mrs. Weasley was glad to hear that their mission had been a successful one, but was puzzled as to why they couldn't tell her what they were up to. "I'll explain everything once we've gotten rid of Voldemort," promised Harry.

If _you get rid of Voldemort,_ thought Mrs. Weasley anxiously, but she expressed her feelings simply with an extra hug for everyone.

Back at home, Gandalf brought them all back to the new problem: how to get to the moor where the Cup had taken place and how to go about finding the Horcrux.

"Maybe he dropped it in the clearing?" suggested Ron hopefully.

Hermione shook her head. "His father would've found it."

"Well, this is perfect!" said Pippin, "All we have to do is search an entire forest and we'll have found a piece of the Dark Lord's soul! This'll be fun!"

"Shut up and let me think!" said Harry, "This definitely won't be easy. We can't use Floo Powder, and most of you can't Apparate."

"Easy," said Fred, "When you lot were trapped in the Department of Mysteries two years ago, we made a Portkey to get there. We can do that right now, if you want." Harry was starting to wonder what he would do without the twins. They caused more trouble and could pull their friends out of more tight spots then anyone else he knew.

The forest looked different during the day, but it was incredibly foggy and chilly. "Careful," whispered Harry, "This could mean dementors are around."

Together, the group proceeded with caution, then spread out to search the forest in pairs. Harry went with Aragorn, Hermione with Arwen, Ron with Sam, Ginny with Frodo, Fred with Merry, George with Pippin, Legolas with Luna, Neville with Gimli, and Gandalf went alone. The idea was that if there was trouble, there was always a wizard in the group who could send up red sparks to summon the others.

Nothing was discovered for hours, then Harry spotted a flash of green and white light in the sky. "Gandalf," noted Aragorn, "He must've found something." They all headed in the direction of the light. Sitting on a twisted old stump was Gandalf.

"Is this what we're looking for?" he asked, holding out a cup that was identical in every way to the one Harry had seen in the Pensieve. But something troubled him.

"That's it," he said, "But isn't this a bit too easy? We just find a Horcrux lying there? Crouch was cleverer than that."

"No, you're right," said Gandalf, "There was a charm on it, actually. I believe you call it a repelling charm. I detected it, but it had no power over me. I assume the idea was that anyone who came across the cup would be unable to see it, even if it were in plain sight. Their eyes would automatically slide over to the next object, and they would ignore the cup, no matter how badly they wanted to find it."

"Why didn't it work on you sir?" asked Sam.

"I have a theory Sam. I think that since I'm not part of this world, my magic is different from the rest of you. Your charms do not have the same effect on me, nor on anyone else from Middle Earth."

"But they worked when we were in battle," argued Ron, "I stunned plenty of orcs!"

"Then you immediately killed them with your sword," finished Gandalf, "If you had waited longer, I think they would've have woken up on their own."

"So is that why those spells kept bouncing off you during the battle in Knockturn Alley?" asked Harry.

"No," replied Legolas, "That was Lady Galadriel's doing. She charmed out armor and weapons to be impervious to most kinds of magic."

"Is there anything _else_ she hasn't told us?" asked an exasperated Ron.

"Not that I know of," said Gimli, "And watch how you speak about the Lady!"

"Your crush on her is getting annoying," Ron muttered under his breath. Fortunately for him, Gimli did not hear that.

"We'd better get back to Godric's Hollow then," said Neville, watching the woods carefully to see if anyone was watching.

"Yes, let's!" said Hermione nervously.

"But you can't leave _yet!_" growled a different voice.

"Not again!" groaned Merry. Sure enough, Death Eaters began emerging from the shadows. Everyone raised their weapons.

"You have someone new with you," said the leader, sneering at Arwen. It was a woman's voice, and Harry knew it was Bellatrix Lestrange. Cold anger rose in him. At the mention of Arwen, several Death Eaters circled her. Their faces were masked, but they still grinned in savage delight. Their wands were raised and they were eager for blood.

Aragorn rushed to protect his wife, but before he had taken two steps she had flashed out her two swords and cut down her attackers. Everyone's mouth dropped open. The Death Eaters froze. The Fellowship seized this opportunity to rush in for the attack. Whirling his staff, Gandalf struck down several Death Eaters at once before they knew what had hit them. The hobbits ran in and out of the fray, their tiny daggers nipping at the hooded men and causing them enough pain to become confused. In fact, they were so disoriented that they began lashing out in every direction, missing the nimble hobbits wildly and killing their fellows by accident.

Meanwhile, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Harry, and Ron re-formed their team which hadn't been seen since the siege at Minas Tirith. Hermione, Luna, and Neville cast spells and all doubts concerning Ginny and Arwen had vanished. Yet more Death Eaters continued to arrive. It made Harry realize just how desperately Voldemort wanted to capture him. He did not want the young wizard escaping one more time.

"Are they just going to keep coming?" yelled Pippin.

_Where's Dumbledore when you need him?_ wondered Harry.

At that moment beautiful music could be heard throughout the moor. Harry and the others felt their hearts swell with an imperishable courage. Their enemies stopped fighting and began quaking in fear. The song rose to a particularly powerful note, and as the Death Eaters sank to their knees, howling in fear and rage, Harry recognized the tune. It was a phoenix song.

Then a tree burst into flames nearby. Several Death Eaters Disapparated on the spot. There was Fawkes, singing his song, now lashing his talons and striking any enemy in his path. "Brilliant!" yelled Harry, and he led his friends as they re-doubled their efforts to drive the enemy away.

As soon as they were gone, Fawkes ended his song and landed on Harry's shoulder. "Thanks for coming at the right time again!" said Harry gratefully.

"Where's Bellatrix Lestrange?" asked Neville quietly, "I heard her voice."

They searched among the dead bodies, kicking aside their masks, but Bellatrix was gone. "I'll get her next time," muttered Neville, "Next time, I'll get her…"

"Let's go back," said Harry quickly, staring in alarm at the look on Neville's face.

"Yes!" agreed Pippin, "We almost missed afternoon tea!"

"And we certainly can't miss _that!_" whispered Harry. Ginny giggled. "Ginny," he said, taking her aside as Fred and George readied the Portkey, "I just wanted to apologize to you."

"For what?"

"For holding you back. You were amazing back there, and…I won't try to protect you again."

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Who are you and what have you done with the real Harry?"

"I'm serious!" he insisted.

"I know. Thank you," she said.

"That's it? Thank you?" asked Harry.

"What else do I say?" asked Ginny, "I'm glad you finally came around. But I didn't care. Not really. It was sweet of you; it showed you cared about me. But for Merlin's sake, you have to give me more room!"

Harry nodded, and kissed her lightly on the lips. Before it could get passionate, he felt a tap on the shoulder.

"We hate to break up such a romantic moment," smirked Fred, "But everyone's waiting to leave!" It was true. Everyone was standing around the Portkey, staring at them. Blushing, Harry and Ginny joined the others, and they returned home.

A/N: Looking at my schedule, I realized that my next week is packed, but I'll try to update a bit more faster. My goal is to have this done the same day Lost in Middle Earth was completed. We're more than halfway done, so here's hoping!


	17. Fight in the Forest

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: I'M BACK!!! Ok, I changed my mind. My profile says that I wasn't updating until I finished the story. But I felt so bad, I decided to give you this chapter. Then I extensively outlined the rest of the story, so I don't have to worry about writer's block. Besides, if I wait until I finish the story, then I might start speed-writing, and start coming out with chapters that don't live up to their expectations. So we're back to the old style, but don't worry, Chapter 17 is almost done as well, and hopefully it will be out by next week! Enjoy, and once again, I humbly apologize for making you wait this long. Trust me, I really needed that break.

Chapter 16: Fight in the Forest

Although it had originally seemed to be an impossible feat, the Forbidden Forest had actually grown more dangerous than ever before in the past year. With Aragog dead there was no one to control the spiders, and with the headmaster dead there was no one to control anything else. While Dumbledore had no real control over the various magical creatures, he and Hagrid had certainly kept them from getting out of hand and possibly attacking the school. Now several species of the forest were growing restless, especially the spiders. They were leaderless, and they were hungry. Aragog's somewhat wise leadership had kept them from splurging themselves. Now that was all gone. The acromantulas were thirsty for blood. All they needed was prey, and perhaps a strong leader who could point it out to them.

A shadowy figure slipped into the forest. He had a way of persuading evil creatures to do his bidding. Now it was time to earn the spiders' trust, and see just what they were capable of.

* * *

Harry had been pondering over what Gandalf had said concerning his powers in magic. An idea occurred to him. It was genius, and probably crazy, but he wanted to try and ask the old wizard about it. If it worked, they would have a much easier time defeating Voldemort.

"If your magic effects people from other worlds differently," he said privately, "Is it possible that you could create more damage with certain spells?"

"I don't know," Gandalf admitted, "This whole thing is simply a theory of mine, nothing more. What works in our favor is my theories are usually correct."

"You sound like Dumbledore," said Harry, "But if you had to guess, would your magic make our spells more powerful?"

"Harry, what are you trying to say?"

Harry told him his idea. Gandalf frowned. "It's possible," he said, "We might as well give it a try. But don't tell the others. I don't want to get their hopes up."

"I figured as much," said Harry, "I won't."

As it was, they had limited time to work on this mysterious plan, if they wanted to keep it safe from Hermione's prying eyes. Plus, Harry knew they needed an experiment to see if it would work, and he wasn't sure where or how to get what he needed. So it was placed on hold for the time being.

February arrived, and with it came Valentine's Day. The boys encountered the same problem they had had at Christmas: what to get their dates. This time they all settled for flowers. Ron added his own twist by hiding Chocolate Frogs into his bouquet. Unfortunately for him, Hermione was not amused when they suddenly hopped out and into her face!

Once again, Sam and Dobby had outdone themselves in cooking a delicious feast. In addition, the girls had accompanied Fred and George to Diagon Alley, where they bought decorations to brighten up the house.

Later that evening, while everyone else was relaxing in front of the fire, Legolas and Luna went outside to watch as the snow started falling again. The night was quiet and peaceful, much like it had been on Christmas. For a long time, neither of them said anything. Then Luna spoke. "You know, people think it's weird that we're seeing each other."

Legolas was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, it's obvious," she said lightly, "I overheard them talking. They said you and Aragorn had a fight."

"_What?_" He was horrified and baffled by this information. That argument with Aragorn should have been private; how had everyone else found out?

"Yes," Luna went on, "Which made me wonder…"

"Luna, if you heard anything that offended you, you have to know that Aragorn didn't mean it. His wife is an elf herself, so he can't talk…"

Luna shook her head. "I know. I don't mind what Aragorn thinks. What I wondered was, do you agree with him?"

"Of course not," said Legolas.

She fixed her wide blue eyes on him. "You don't? Really? Because it's all right if you do, and you're just trying to be nice. Everyone else has let me be their friend just to be nice. They don't really agree with what I say, and sometimes people say I'm scary, but I don't mind, I'm quite used to it."

"No," said Legolas firmly, "Maybe humans pretend to tolerate other people, but we elves don't play those kinds of mind tricks. If I say that I like you, I mean it."

Luna smiled. "You do? Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm very certain."

"All right then!" she replied happily, "I just wanted to make sure!"

Luna seemed much happier after that. They continued to sit out in the snow, until he noticed her getting cold. Then they went back inside, where Ginny was leaning against Harry's shoulder by the fireplace, Ron was apologizing to Hermione once again for the frogs in the flowers, Aragorn and Arwen were having a low conversation, and Sam was staring dazedly into the fire, wondering what Rosie was up to.

The next morning, the gang was surprised to get a visit from McGonagall. "I'm sorry to bother you all," she said, "But two nights ago, the Order agreed that after all you've been through, there's no reason why you shouldn't come to one of our meetings. These are difficult times, and although we don't want to put you in any danger, we need as many capable allies as we can get."

"Can we discuss this first?" asked Harry. He wanted to help the Order, but he didn't want to have to worry about transferring everyone to and from Grimmauld Place. Actually, he didn't want to have to go to Grimmauld Place at all, no matter what the circumstances. He would keep expecting Sirius to pop up, which would be painful. But this was everyone's choice, as well as his.

"Of course you may," replied McGonagall, "Shall I leave the room?"

Harry nodded, and she left. "Well," he said, "What do you think?"

"Why wouldn't we?" asked Ron, who looked ecstatic, "They're finally going to treat us like adults!"

"Who's 'us'?" asked Fred, "You're including yourself in that statement, Ron?"

"Shut up!" said Ron.

"I think we should go," interrupted Frodo, "It might help us understand the situation better. They'd be much more reliable than the _Daily Prophet_."

"Good point," said Neville, "I vote that we go."

"It might be hard to get everyone from one place to the other," Hermione objected.

"That's easy!" cried Pippin, "We'll just take the Knight Bus!"

"NO!" shouted everyone else.

"That is a problem though," remarked Gimli.

"Nah, we can just use another Portkey," said George.

"Well then," said Aragorn, "Are we all in agreement then?"

The vote was a unanimous yes. Even Harry, though he secretly objected, supported their decision. McGonagall was pleased by the news, and told them that the next meeting would be in two weeks.

These two weeks made for a long wait, but they finally ended. Before they knew it, everyone was stepping into the dark hallway of 12 Grimmauld Place. Harry felt shivers going up and down his spine. "Wow," said Ron, "It feels weird being back, doesn't it?"

"It looks a bit different though," said Ginny, "They managed to get down some of the darker decorations."

At this remark, Harry suddenly ran to check something. He was relieved to discover that the Order had finally removed the elf heads, so he would not have to face Legolas' wrath in that area.

A door opened, and Mrs. Weasley came out. She began the usual ritual of telling them to eat more and giving them all giant hugs. She was also introduced to Arwen, and decided that she liked her right away, despite Arwen's apparent thinness.

The meeting began soon after everyone had sat down. McGonagall was there, along with Lupin and Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Flitwick, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Moody, Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Mundungus, Dedalus Diggle, as well as many more people whom Harry didn't recognize. The only one missing was Hagrid.

"Well then," said McGonagall, "Shall we start? As you can see, Harry and his friends have agreed to join us…" Everyone nodded in welcome, and Lupin flashed Harry a quick, understanding smile. "…so that they can help in the fight against You-Know-Who however they can."

Suddenly the door burst open, and Hagrid ran in, looking wild-eyed and out of breath. "Sorry I'm late!" he said.

Harry noticed McGonagall rolling her eyes, and had a sudden suspicion that Hagrid did this quite often. "Why were you late this time, Hagrid?" she asked, confirming this idea.

"Been havin' trouble at Hogwarts!" gasped Hagrid, "It's the forest- one of the centaurs, his name's Ronan, always was good to have a word with, anyway, he told me that the spiders have been attacking his people! He doesn't know why, but he does know they communicate to a mysterious leader. I'm worried that they're all getting out of control!"

"Have they attacked any humans yet?" asked Kingsley.

"No, of course not, there's no one there."

"What should we do?" asked Tonks.

"I dunno," said Hagrid, "I would talk to them, but after Aragog…" His eyes filled up.

"We understand Hagrid," said McGonagall quickly, "But are there Death Eaters involved? Is that who this mysterious leader is?"

"Nah, it can't be them," said Hagrid dismissively, "Them acromantulas would never let a human near them without eating him first."

"Well then, we shall see what we can do, but for now we have more pressing matters to deal with…" Everyone sat up and looked more attentive, except, Harry noticed, Legolas and Arwen. Clearly the elves were more worried about the state of the forest. Harry wasn't sure what to think. On the one hand, he was suspicious of the spiders' new behavior. He hadn't counted on them banding together and forming some sort of army. Plus, Voldemort was a very powerful wizard, and Harry was sure he could come up with some spell to control any beast's mind. On the other hand, he couldn't like the centaurs. They had always been apathetic towards humanity's problems, and would probably consider it an insult if a human tried to help them. But instinct made him not want to leave them to fend for themselves.

The rest of Voldemort's attacks were predictable. Dementors were everywhere, Muggles and wizards kept turning up dead, giants destroyed everything in their path. The Order was feeling badly outnumbered and overwhelmed; they didn't know where to turn. All they could do was fight whenever the opportunity arose.

"I don't like this," said Gandalf soon after they left.

"We certainly didn't learn anything new," agreed Ginny.

"I think I understand what's going on," Gandalf continued, "This isn't really about all the killings that have been going on."

"It's not?" asked Ron, feeling puzzled, "But what is it then?"

"Those attacks make up a smokescreen," said Gandalf, "They are merely distractions to keep us and the Order busy. While we fight them, they are busy plotting something much worse."

"Like attacking the forest?" said Hermione, beginning to catch on.

"Whether or not it's Voldemort's doing," said Legolas, "I'm going to go help them. The centaurs are good, if not slightly misguided. They need us. Besides, it might convince them to return the favor."

"I don't know," said Ron, "You've never seen an acromantula, have you? They're giant spiders, and their hobbies include feasting on people like us!"

"I know what they are," said Legolas, "They live near my home in Mirkwood, remember?"

"We'll find a way to help the centaurs," Harry promised.

Early the next morning, Legolas snuck out of Godric's Hollow. He had decided to personally find out what was going on in the Forbidden Forest. If the situation was not too desperate, he would help the centaurs clear it up, and that would be that. If it was bad, he would go back for help.

Nobody else was at all pleased by this sudden turn of events. "What was he thinking?" cried Ron, "He's going to get eaten!"

Harry groaned. "Ok everyone," he said, "It looks like we have to go to the Forbidden Forest now." Everyone grabbed their weapons as quickly as possible, and they left.

There were no Aurors guarding Hogwarts anymore. They had all been called back to the Ministry to help in the fighting. So it was easy to get to Hagrid's hut. He had not seen Legolas, but he promised to come into the forest with them to help look.

* * *

The elf in question crept through the trees, searching for any sign of the centaurs. The forest was deadly quiet. As he headed deeper and deeper in, he began to see signs of battle: broken arrows, dead spiders, and, to his horror, traces of blood.

Suddenly, Legolas heard a clicking sound. He knew it was a spider, and braced himself. But the spider had never seen an elf before, and assumed he had the same defense and experience as the average human. As a result, it came barreling out, and within a few seconds it was struck dead.

The earth shook slightly as hooves came galloping in the distance. Legolas turned to see Magorian crashing through the trees. "Legolas!" he gasped, "What are you…you killed it?" He stared at the dead spider, and then at Legolas' bloody sword.

The elf nodded. "Where is everyone else?"

"This way," replied Magorian, "Follow me…or…" He hesitated, not sure whether or not to offer a ride.

"It's no trouble," replied Legolas, "I can keep up."

"You can?" asked Magorian doubtfully, "Very well." He galloped away, and was surprised to see Legolas keep a steady pace next to him. Elves were much faster than he had assumed.

They headed into the heart of the forest, where a battle was going on in full earnest. "What's been happening?" asked Legolas in horror.

"They keep coming out of nowhere and attacking our people!" said Magorian furiously, "Finally we decided that enough was enough, and we are striking back!"

The centaurs were skilled fighters, but they were outnumbered. Spiders were everywhere, biting at them from the ground, or climbing up trees and launching themselves on top of the enemy. The situation was bad, and Legolas wished he'd at least brought Aragorn, Gimli, Harry, or Ron. But he couldn't leave now; he could see this would be the centaurs' last, desperate battle. So he plunged in to help out.

* * *

Hagrid led the rest of the party through the forest. "They've mostly been fighting farther in," he explained, "It might take a while to get to him."

Aragorn and Arwen were on both sides of the group, searching for signs of their friend. They too began to spot the dead bodies and broken arrows. Suddenly Aragorn dropped down next to a spider. Ron turned pale and jerked back.

The ranger took no notice. "This spider wasn't shot by arrows," he murmured, "This is the work of a sword."

"Centaurs don't use swords," remarked Hagrid.

"You think Legolas was here?" asked Harry.

"I'm sure of it," replied Aragorn.

"You're right," said Arwen, "There are tracks here. One set is elven; the other is hoof prints."

Nobody but Aragorn and Gandalf could clearly make them out, but they trusted her and followed her into the wood. "Draw your weapons!" she called out as they got closer, "I can hear them!"

Everyone did as they were told. Sure enough, they soon found the battle going on in full earnest.

* * *

The spiders were terrified of the centaurs' strange new ally, and as a result, they focused their attacks on him. Legolas held them off as long as possible, but eventually he grew tired. They sensed this, and were on top of him quicker than a flash. Suddenly there was a shout of, "_Reducto!_" and they were blown away. It was Luna; she charged forward and quickly helped him to his feet.

At this point, the tide turned. The spiders shrieked in terror as Gandalf flew in with his glowing staff, Aragorn and Harry with their magic swords, and the rest with their assorted weapons and wands. Arwen was not as experienced with fighting spiders as Legolas was, but she was still a force to be reckoned with. So was Sam, who fought in the same way he had with Shelob. The only ones reluctant to fight were Hagrid, since the spiders were still Aragog's children, and Ron. But they helped as best as they could.

"Are you ok?" Harry asked Legolas when most of the spiders were either dead or had retreated.

Legolas nodded. "I'm sorry about that," he said sheepishly, "I was only going to investigate the situation. I didn't plan on fighting that much."

"You're forgiven," said Harry.

"But next time, use your head!" snapped Gimli. Legolas laughed.

_Next chapter: Who was behind the spider attack? Will the gang discover any more Horcruxes? How will the Order react? What's Voldemort's next move? Stay tuned for Chapter 17: Treasure at Gringotts! _;)


	18. Treasure at Gringotts

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: Here you go, another chapter! And if my outline is correct, we have nine more to go after this!

Chapter 17: Treasure at Gringotts

The centaurs, in general, were more than grateful for what Harry and the Fellowship had done. As Harry had predicted, Bane was a little sulky about being rescued by humans and their kind, but on the whole, he was much more gracious than was typical.

Magorian spoke up. "I think I speak for all my people when I say that we would be honored to assist you in the future. We now owe you our lives."

"Thanks," said Harry, "We'll remember that."

"Can we go home now?" muttered Pippin, "I'm hungry."

The group headed home, where they had breakfast as they recalled everything that had taken place. After that, they decided to visit Grimmauld Place and inform the Order of the battle and the centaur's pledge.

McGonagall was very pleased to hear about the new allies, but worried about what the spiders' exploits might mean. They assured her that the spiders had been taken care of and would no longer be a threat.

Suddenly they heard shouts coming from upstairs. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE GOING TO SIDE WITH HER ON THIS!!"

"Hark," said Fred, "It's the lovely voice of Mum."

"Who's she mad at this time?" wondered Ginny.

"Let's find out," said George with a grin. He and Fred left the room, followed by Harry, Ron, and Ginny. Nobody else felt like accompanying them.

"MUM, FOR THE LAST TIME, I'M NOT STOPPING HER IF SHE REALLY WANTS TO DO THIS!"

"Whoa," said Ginny, "It's _Bill_."

"_Bill?_" replied Harry and Ron in unison.

"Cool," said Fred, "I've never heard her that mad at Bill before. It's a nice change."

"_Fred!_" groaned Ginny.

They traced the fight all the way to the second floor. It was coming from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's room. There was no need for Extendable Ears of course, every word could be heard from outside.

"_You…are going to put…your own wife…in that much danger…_"

"I'm not putting her in danger Mum! She'll be fine! Tonks will be with her too!"

"And if they get caught, you'll break Remus' heart as well as your own! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?"

"No Mum! But it's her decision…"

"A very destructive decision…"

"It's a good idea! They'll never know what hit them, and think about all the good it would do for the Order!"

"_You would put the Order before your family?_"

"No! You're making the most ridiculous accusations I've ever heard of, when this isn't even any of your business!"

"Excuse me, but you're my son and she's my daughter-in-law! Of course it's my business!"

"It is NOT!"

"Run!" whispered Fred, "He's going to burst out of the door at any minute!"

They all scattered. Sure enough, Bill slammed open the door and stormed out. A minute or two later, Mrs. Weasley followed.

"Well," said Fred finally, "That was interesting."

"What's Fleur want to do that's so dangerous?" wondered Harry.

"No idea, but I'm not in the mood to ask Mum," replied George.

"We could always ask Bill," said Ron.

"No way," said George, "He can be just as scary when he wants to be. You heard him in there."

"So how do we find out?" asked Ron.

"You need to think outside of the box," replied Fred, "There are at least two other people besides them who would know."

"Who?" asked Harry.

"That's easy," said Ginny, "Fleur and Tonks."

"Right!" said Fred, "They'll be much safer to ask."

"You're a genius Fred," said Harry.

"That's what I'm here for," replied Fred with a wink.

Neither Fleur nor Tonks was at Grimmauld Place however. They realized that this was why Mrs. Weasley and Bill had chosen to argue when they did. That way, the girls would never have to know. This was all well and good, but it meant that the gang would have to come back if they wanted to figure the mystery out.

Things began to go back to normal. Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin continued going to work at the joke shop. Meanwhile, Gimli was still visiting Gringotts. The goblins had begun to trust him more and more, but still gave no sign of whether they would take sides in the war or not. Harry continued to encourage Gimli, but he could see that the dwarf was starting to get frustrated.

One day, however, the goblins surprised Gimli by agreeing to show him the one example of _mithril_ they believed they had. This was an ultimate act of trust, which raised Gimli's morale greatly. They hopped into one of the carts and sped down to the vault.

* * *

Meanwhile, business was booming at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Suddenly, another group of Death Eaters marched into the store. "Oh for heaven's sake," said George, "This is the tenth time so far!"

"Really guys, you're starting to get old," agreed Lee.

"Who's turn is it to get the Whiz-bangs?" asked Pippin.

"Mine," said Merry, rolling his eyes.

He walked over to the storage room, opened the door…and found Death Eaters waiting inside! "Uh-oh," he said.

"Yikes!" said Fred, "_That_ wasn't part of the plan!"

"Yes," chuckled one of the masked men, "Perhaps you'll be more willing to cooperate this time."

Fred looked at his friends. "Are we willing to cooperate?"

"No."

"No."

"No."

"No."

"Didn't think so," said Fred. He turned back to the masked man. "Sorry about that!"

"You should be sorry!" snarled the Death Eater, as he raised his wand.

"You wouldn't cast _Avada Kedavra_ on us, would you?" said George, "It's so clichéd!"

"You're right," said the Death Eater, "Lucky I happen to have my axe on me!" The boys were shocked to see him reach into the room and pull out a giant axe!

"Wait," said Lee, "You're that guy from the Ministry, Macnair!"

Sure enough, it was Macnair who pulled off the mask. "That's right!" he snarled, "Now, are you willing to do what I say?"

"I have a better idea," said Pippin.

"What's that?" Macnair sneered.

Pippin looked at his friends, who nodded. "RUN!" he yelled. All five of them stampeded through the Death Eaters and out the door before they had time to react.

"Don't just stand there!" shouted Macnair, "If the Dark Lord finds out we failed for the tenth time, he's going to kill us!" This thought caused every Death Eater to snap to their senses and run out the door.

* * *

After the ride to the vault, Gimli naturally felt sick, but his excitement was much greater. He couldn't wait to see what the goblins kept in the vault. "Who does it belong to?" he asked.

"This is now a top-security vault," explained his guide, "It belonged to a group of Death Eaters called the Lestranges."

"Did you say the _Lestranges?_" gasped Gimli.

"I'm sure you've heard of them," said the goblin lightly, "Well, this is one of their vaults. They asked that we keep it locked tight, and so we have."

"But you're showing it to me?"

"We thought you'd like to see it. Anyway, it's not as though you can steal anything. You'll look at it here only, and then we go back up." That being said, he held out a long finger and scratched the door. Gimli was shocked to see it disappear. But what shocked him even more was what he saw sitting in the vault. It was _mithril_ all right. _Mithril_ in the form of a glistening tiara. One that had once belonged to Galadriel.

* * *

"Where to?" asked Merry frantically, "Tom's?"

"He couldn't help us in time," replied Fred, "What's the safest place?"

"Gringotts!" shouted Lee. Before anyone could object, he made a beeline for the bank. Everyone followed him inside.

The goblins paid them no attention, until the Death Eaters came crashing in. Apparently they didn't care that this was Gringotts, they had their sights set on capturing and/or killing the five pranksters.

"Quick!" yelled George, "Behind the counters!" They did so just as the Death Eaters started firing spells.

"What is the meaning of this?" shouted one of the goblins furiously. The Death Eaters ignored him and continued with their attack. But Fred, George, Lee, Merry and Pippin did not curl up into balls and hide. They continued popping up to cast a spell, then would duck down again. This hit-and-run tactic worked quite well, but there were so many Death Eaters that it couldn't possibly keep working for long.

* * *

Gimli was stunned. "How did you get this?" he whispered.

"I told you," said the goblin, "We received it from the Lestranges. We didn't ask them any questions about how _they _got it, in case you were wondering."

"This once belonged to a close friend of mine," said Gimli, "I need it."

"No you don't," said the goblin, "Time to go."

"I don't want to steal it!" cried Gimli, "We need it though!"

"Of course," said the goblin, "But first, we need to go back to the top. Let's go." He beckoned toward the cart. "Oh, and don't think of stealing it." He snapped his fingers, and the vault door reappeared, blocking Gimli from one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. He was about to turn around and crack the goblin over the head with his axe, when said guide stiffened. Someone was coming down the track.

It was another goblin. He looked wild-eyed and scared. "We're under attack!" he gasped.

"What? Why?" asked the other.

"Those boys from the joke shop started it!" replied the first goblin, "They ran in, and some Death Eaters chased after them! Now they're attacking the bank!"

Gimli gasped. "Get me back up there!" he shouted, "I must help fight them!"

"I'm on it!" replied his guide. They both jumped in and sped to the surface.

* * *

Meanwhile, the rest of the goblins had decided that they were not going to just sit around and watch. They dropped their work and attacked the Death Eaters. Heartened by this turn of events, Fred, George, Lee, Merry, and Pippin stopped their guerilla-style fighting and joined the fray.

Macnair, however, refused to back down. He simply rolled up his sleeve and pressed his wand on his Dark Mark. Soon more Death Eaters were spilling into the bank. As for Macnair, he was using both his wand and his executioner axe to attack anything moving. Together they made him a deadly foe.

At that moment, one of the doors opened, and Gimli, along with the goblin who'd accompanied him to the vault, emerged. They immediately charged forward to help. While they didn't provide a stunning new advantage for the rest of their friends, they were able to help stem the amount of Death Eaters coming through. Macnair noticed this and went in for the kill.

But Gimli saw him coming. "So," he said, "You are the axe-wielder of your master, eh?"

Macnair laughed. "If you think you can defeat me, your pride is much larger than you!" He swung his axe down, but Gimli simply blocked it.

"You've rarely used this in battle," snorted the dwarf, "And never in a proper duel. You have no experience at all. You only know how to execute animals with it!"

"If you don't appreciate that weapon, I am more than happy to use another!" Macnair pulled out his wand, but George, who saw the whole thing, summoned it right out of his hand. Gimli, meanwhile, had picked up his axe and slammed it into the Death Eater's leg!

Macnair howled in rage and pain and stumbled back. Gimli came after him, and the two began dueling on the spot. If the evil man had thought he could beat Gimli due to lack of size, he was sorely mistaken. The dwarf had killed many warriors and Uruk-hai, and was more than capable of holding his own. Their axes continued to clash until they battled near Merry. The hobbit turned, stuck out his foot, and tripped Macnair. As he fell over, Gimli seized the moment and struck him down.

Once the rest of the Death Eaters saw that Macnair was dead, they had no more interest in staying. Many Disapparated on the spot. The others foolishly tried to run out the door. But this did not work for them as well as it had for their enemies in the joke shop. The goblins were much sharper, and none managed to escape.

"Wow," said George.

"Glad that's over," remarked Lee.

"Nice work Merry," said Gimli, looking over Macnair.

"Right then," said the head goblin, as he surveyed the damage, "Get out!"

"What?" the group cried in unison.

"You heard me! Get out! I don't want anymore trouble here!" Grumbling, the boys left the bank. "That goes for you too Gimli," continued the goblin.

"But I found something that I need…"

"OUT!"

Gimli gripped his axe again. "I'm not leaving until I reclaim that tiara."

The goblins glared at him and prepared to attack. But then Fred and George re-entered the bank to see what the trouble was. Without a word, they each grabbed one of Gimli's arms and dragged him out.

"What? Boys, let go! I found the tiara! We need to go back in and get it! Let go!"

"Sure," said Fred calmly, "We'll get whatever you need, as soon as you come up with an idea that doesn't get you killed! Let's go."

"No! Stop! I need to go back in there! Boys, I'm warning you, put me down this instant…"

Later, after hearing what they all had to say, Harry was disappointed that they couldn't get the Horcrux, but glad that the twins had stopped Gimli from doing something rash. "At least you got Macnair," he said, "That was extremely helpful."

"Wait a minute," said Hermione, "What did you mean when you said this was 'the tenth time' they attacked?"

The Foursome looked at each other. "Did we say that?" asked George innocently, "Nah, we were only exaggerating really…"

"Don't try to talk yourselves out of it, boys," groaned Hermione, "You'll only make things worse."

Harry was more worried about how they could get the Horcrux. "Hagrid always said that you'd have to be mad to try and rob Gringotts," he told the others, "But how else are we supposed to get the Horcrux if the goblins won't let us have it?"

"Maybe Bill could pull a few strings," said Ron.

"I doubt it," said Gimli, "They seemed firm with their decision; they were given direct orders not to let anyone near the tiara."

"Yeah," grumbled Ron, "Never mind that those orders were given by the most wanted Death Eaters in the world! Stupid goblins."

"They're not _stupid_, Ron," said Hermione, "They just want to stay neutral."

"When there's an evil maniac trying to take over the world, who'd have no qualms over killing them whenever he felt like it? Sounds pretty stupid to me…"

"Stop," said Harry, before Hermione could open her mouth. "This isn't helping."

"I have an idea," said Frodo quickly, "Remember back in August, how we managed to get to your vault much faster than normal? And we did it because Harry's so famous, but also because you, Gandalf, used your powers to persuade them? Maybe you could do the same thing now!"

"A very good idea, Frodo," said Gandalf, "I shall go to Gringotts immediately."

About an hour later, Gandalf came back with the tiara. It looked even more beautiful in the light, but Harry noticed it wasn't shining, which was highly unusual for _mithril_. There was no doubt in his mind that this was a Horcrux. "Good work Gandalf!" he said, "Can you destroy it?"

Gandalf sighed heavily. "Alas," he said, "Therein lies our problem. I have already tried to destroy it. But it appears that the elves had placed protective charms around it, which only they can remove."

"If that's the case, how did Voldemort make it a Horcrux?" asked Harry.

"I'm getting there!" replied Gandalf, sounding annoyed, "He found a way, not to remove the spells, but to _reverse _them. That way, they work for him instead. We are certainly dealing with an extremely powerful wizard. I tried to fix it the best I could, but this needs the touch of the elves if you truly want to destroy it. I would suggest giving it to Galadriel."

"Ok," said Harry, "Who wants to go with me?"

In the end, he decided to pick Neville, who hadn't seen Middle Earth before, Gimli, who longed to see Galadriel again, and Hermione to come with him. Together, they set off with the final Horcrux for Rivendell!

_Will the final Horcrux be destroyed? What will the Death Eaters do next? What is Fleur and Tonk's plan? Does Galadriel have any more secrets to tell? Stay tuned for Chapter 18: Almost Destroyed! (No points for creativity, but it was the best I could think of! Maybe I'll come up with something catchier…)_


	19. Almost Destroyed

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: Here's where things get a little shaky in regards to my knowledge about Middle Earth. I don't know that much outside of the movies, and books that I've read. So I've taken a few liberties in what Galadriel and some of the others elves can do. Please bear with me, we'll just consider this a bit of an AU.

Chapter 18: Almost Destroyed

While Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Gimli traveled to Middle Earth, Arwen was making her way to Grimmauld Place. As soon as she arrived, she immediately searched for Fleur and Tonks. Fleur was there, and was happy to see her.

"Come inside!" she said, beckoning into her room. As soon as they had both entered, Fleur shut and locked the door. "Well?" she whispered, "'Ave you told Aragorn yet?"

"Not yet," Arwen admitted, "What does Bill think of your idea?"

"'E ees fine with eet," she said with a shrug, "Molly 'ates eet."

"Was that what she was shouting about last week?" asked Arwen, with a slight smile.

"Yes, I 'eard zey 'ad a fight," replied Fleur, "I wasn't zere zough."

"Harry, Ron, Ginny, and the twins went to eavesdrop, but they didn't find out anything. And they don't know I've been involved."

"So? Why shouldn't zey know?" asked Fleur, sounding annoyed, "I trust zem! Zey aren't going to run to Voldemort and warn 'im zat I want to spy on 'im!"

"Of course not," replied Arwen, "I just don't want them all worrying, that's all. I think it's a wonderful idea. I've heard that veelas can charm any unsuspecting male. Think of all the things you could learn for the Order!"

"Zat's just what I said!" exclaimed Fleur, "But Molly won't listen! Well, I'm doing eet whezzer she likes eet or not! You and Tonks will still help me, right?"

"I am. I'm sure Tonks will too."

"Good. "Zen zere shouldn't be any problems!"

* * *

Harry and his friends walked into the Room of Requirement, through the portal, and back into Elrond's library. Neville was in awe of his surroundings. "Wow," was all he could get out, "I wish I had been with you guys the last two times!" 

"Well, now you've gotten your chance," said Hermione, "Welcome to Middle Earth!"

"And this is where the elves like Legolas live?" asked Neville.

"Some of them," replied Hermione, "There are also some in Mirkwood and Lothlorien. But the ones we know are staying here."

They stepped outside to look for Elrond. Right away, Harry noticed something was different. The place no longer seemed as bright and peaceful as it once did. The trees and plants seemed to be fading slightly, and the rushing rivers did not have the same crystal blue water. Now it seemed duller. "What happened?" he muttered.

"This is what is happening, now that the Elven Rings of Power no longer work," said a voice. They turned around. It was Elrond.

"What do you mean, they don't work?" asked Harry.

"What are elven rings of power?" Neville whispered to Hermione.

"They were among the Rings of Power forged thousands of years ago," explained Elrond, "When the One Ring was destroyed, its connection with the other rings was so strong, their powers were destroyed as well."

"That's terrible," said Hermione, staring at the once-beautiful place that had been her home for a few months.

"It is the way things are," said Elrond, although he looked sad as well. "Now, who are you?" he asked Neville.

"Neville Longbottom, sir," said Neville meekly, bowing slightly.

"He's a friend of ours," said Harry.

"A pleasure to meet you," said Elrond, shaking his hand. "And what can I do for you all?"

"We're looking for Lady Galadriel," said Gimli, "We found her tiara."

Elrond's eyes widened. "You did?! Well then, come right this way! I'll show you where she's staying. I'm sure she'll be more than happy to see you all!" They followed him quickly down several flights of stairs, until they had left Elrond's house altogether. Galadriel and her husband, Celeborn, it seemed lived in a separate apartment closer to the woods.

The biggest smile spread across the lady's face as soon as she saw Harry gently unwrap the tiara. "Was I right?" she asked, "Has the Horcrux been destroyed?"

"Well, yes and no," said Harry, "Did you put any charms on this?"

"Ah yes, that's right," said Galadriel, "The same ones I put on your friends' armor."

"What?!" asked Harry.

"Lady Galadriel put charms on our armor and weapons, so we wouldn't be hurt as much from the wizards' magic," explained Gimli, "Didn't you wonder why the spells seemed to just bounce off of us?"

"Hang on, yeah, I do remember that," said Harry, "I just forgot to ask you about it. So you put those on the tiara too?"

"Correct," replied Galadriel, "Does this mean it wasn't a Horcrux?"

"Oh, it's a Horcrux all right," replied Harry, "Voldemort reversed the spell. Now we can't get rid of it."

"Oh my!" exclaimed Galadriel, "He's more powerful than I thought! I suppose Gandalf told you I would remove it."

"Yes, can you?"

"I'll do my best." The lady moved to pick up the tiara.

"Wait, don't…" they all started to say, but before they could stop her, Galadriel's fingers brushed against the _mithril_. Seconds later she cried out and clutched her burning hand.

"We're sorry!" cried Hermione, "We forgot to tell you, Gandalf said not to touch it!"

"It's all right," gasped Galadriel, "But please try to warn me next time!"

When she had recovered (something elves were particularly good at), Galadriel put on gloves and placed the tiara onto her table. Then she took them off, and held her hands over the Horcrux. "_Pusta yana uro ter nya ingole!_" she chanted. The tiara shook, and some cracks appeared in it. Suddenly, bright green light shot out of it from all sides!

"Duck!" yelled Harry. Everyone dove to the ground as the light spread through the air. It struck a few plants, causing them to wither on the spot, before it dissipated.

Galadriel rose to her feet; her face was very pale. "I think we need to try that again!" she said, "It's worse than I thought!"

* * *

The sun was setting over Godric's Hollow as the Fellowship sat down for dinner. Aragorn was the first to notice who was missing. "Where's Arwen?" he asked. 

"I heard her say she was going to Grimmauld Place," said Ginny lightly, "I suppose she'll be back soon."

_Without mentioning it to me?_ though Aragorn, _That's not like Arwen._ But nobody else seemed worried, so he decided to keep it to himself.

As it happened, Arwen had lost track of the time, so it didn't occur to her that she might be missed at home. She and Fleur had decided to wait for Tonks to arrive so they could further their plans. Then Arwen would return home, where she had decided to tell the others what was they were about to do. She felt that her husband, at least, deserved to know what was going on.

* * *

"Found anything yet?" called Harry. 

"I would've told you if I had!" snapped Hermione. She, along with everyone else, was in Elrond's library, frantically searching for any information that might help them destroy the Horcrux.

"What about you Harry?" asked Neville, "Did Dumbledore tell you how he destroyed the ring?"

"Not really," said Harry, "He just mentioned that there was a very powerful curse on it."

"Well, that helps," grumbled Gimli, as he scanned the pages of his book.

After another hour, an elf came in to bring them dinner, so they stopped to eat. But as soon as he was done, Harry dove back into the books again. There seemed to be no clue on how to break Voldemort's curse. Then Hermione had an idea. She crossed over to another section of the library and started looking up information on elven magic.

"What are you doing?" asked Neville, when he saw what she was reading.

"I'm trying to look up the charm Galadriel originally used to protect the tiara," muttered Hermione, not even glancing up at him, "If I can get more information on that, we might learn more about its reversal. I can't imagine how Voldemort did it! Elven magic is so much different than our own! You couldn't even really call it magic, it's just an art that only the most powerful, ancient elves can perform. You can bet that Legolas wouldn't know how."

"Maybe that's what made Voldemort's spell more powerful?" suggested Harry, "Remember what Gandalf suggested about different kinds of magic?"

"Yes, I'm starting to think he was right," replied Hermione distractedly, "Oh, here it is! _Varya_- the defense charm!"

"What does it say?" asked Gimli eagerly. They all dropped what they were doing and crowded around her.

"Calm down!" cried Hermione, "I'll read it out loud! It says that if an elf possesses the right will, he or she can summon the power to make an object indestructible. It looks like Voldemort added his own twist to this. Nothing can hurt the tiara, and no enemies, such as orcs, could stand to touch it. But now, it looks as if no one else but Voldemort and the Lestranges can touch it either."

"So, how do we get rid of it?" asked Neville.

"I'm not sure," replied Hermione, "I'll see if I can find out what to do if a spell is tampered with."

They had to wait for almost an hour before she found what she was looking for. "Here it is!" she squealed excitedly, "_Lethia um angol o mithril en calad!_"

"What's that mean?" asked Neville.

"_Release the dark magic inside of the mithril_," replied Hermione, "Actually, I added in the word for "_mithril_"; that's the part you're supposed to add in."

"Why '_mithril_'?" asked Harry, "Why not 'tiara'?"

"Because that's what the tiara is made out of, and it works better if you include the materials."

Harry didn't understand any of this, but he accepted what Hermione told him, and they took the tiara back to Galadriel. "I should have known," she said, "Thank you for all you've done!" She put her gloves back on, put the tiara on the table, and did the same thing she had done before, only this time she chanted, "_Lethia um angol o mithril en calad!_"

The tiara shook and shuddered. Through the cracks that were already there, a white mist came out, hung in the air for a moment, and disappeared. The last Horcrux had been destroyed. _Now all I have to do is kill Voldemort_, Harry thought. This did not make him feel any happier.

* * *

The Fellowship finished dinner, and went back to the fireplace, the way they always did. Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin had just gotten out their favorite game: Exploding Snap, when Arwen came in. 

"Arwen!" cried Aragorn, "Where have you been?"

She smiled at him. "At Grimmauld Place," she replied, "I brought Fleur and Tonks back with me. We have an idea that we've been hoping to discuss with you."

Tonks stuck her head in. "Hi everybody!" she said cheerfully, "Hey, is that Exploding Snap? Can I join?"

"Sure! We haven't started yet!" said Fred.

Arwen laughed. "Perhaps some other time, Tonks. Remember, we're here for something important."

"Oh," said Tonks, blushing slightly, "Right."

"'Ello everyone!" said Fleur, "But where ees 'Arry?"

"He's not back yet," replied Ginny, "He went to give Galadriel the last Horcrux."

"Well, we'll just have to explain it to him later," said Arwen, "We wanted your advice on something."

"It was Fleur's idea," said Tonks proudly, "We think it's good, and we want to help her. But we thought you lot had a right to know first."

"What is it?" asked Ron.

"We want to spy on Voldemort," explained Fleur, "Tonks ees going to disguise 'erself as a veela, with 'er Metamorphagus abilities. Arwen and I are going to simply look our best, and we shall try getting certain Death Eaters to reveal zere plans to us!"

"What do you think?" asked Arwen.

"I think it's brilliant!" said Ron.

"Rather ingenious actually," said Gandalf, as he puffed his pipe by the fire, "No one will suspect a thing. I've seen what veelas can do to any young man. The best of luck to the three of you; it's so original that I think it will work!"

The others agreed unanimously, and congratulated Fleur on her idea. Ginny was expressing her desire to go with them. But Arwen caught Aragorn's unhappy expression, and beckoned him outside. "What do you think?" she asked, once they had shut the door.

Aragorn said nothing for a long time. Then he looked at her and gave the slightest hint of a smile. "I'm proud of you," he said softly, "You've come through for us in more ways than I could've imagined." Her whole face lit up, and he gave her a kiss. "You know I'll be worried sick about you though," he muttered.

She laughed. "I'd be concerned if you didn't! But I'm glad you're letting me do this."

"I just want you to be happy," he replied, "If this is what you want to do, then I can't stop you. I couldn't get you to go to Valinor, after all."

"That's right," she said, her smile growing wider, "Thank you."

* * *

At long last, Galadriel's tiara was back where it belonged. She was much happier now that she knew the damage done was gone. Elrond and Celeborn were pleased too, but Harry thought he saw some anxiety lingering in their expressions. "So," he said casually, "What's been happening in Middle Earth lately?" 

The three elves shared a quick glance. _You don't miss much, do you Harry?_ said Galadriel internally. There was the slightest hint of amusement in her voice.

_I can't help it; it's the way I am!_ replied Harry. She smiled.

"We've been having a small problem," said Elrond with a sigh, "It's nothing we won't be able to fix. Don't bother worrying about it."

"What is it?" asked Hermione in concern.

"There have been reports that groups of elves have gone missing over the past week. We aren't sure why, or where they've gone," explained Elrond.

"Most of it has hit Rivendell," added Celeborn, "It worries us, because it has started to spread to Mirkwood and Lothlorien."

"How many have gone missing?" asked Hermione in alarm.

"Not too many," assured Elrond, "Like I said, this is not for you to worry about. Destroy Voldemort. We will search for our people."

"Are you sure they're not connected?" asked Harry, "It seems pretty weird that something could be happening to so many elves, especially after Sauron got destroyed. Who else could be that big of a threat?"

"I am sure that Voldemort never came through the portal, if that is what you're suggesting," replied Elrond.

"We will keep our eyes and ears open anyway," said Gimli, "If we discover anything, you'll be the first to know!"

"Thank you Gimli," said Galadriel. She smiled at him, and he blushed slightly.

The four of them decided to spend the night in Rivendell, and then after breakfast, they went home through the portal. But the way back to Godric's Hollow was not as easy as they had anticipated.

"I have an idea," said Harry as they walked out onto the Hogwarts grounds, "Why don't I treat us all to a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks?"

"Sounds great!" exclaimed Neville. Hermione nodded, and Gimli licked his lips. He had tasted butterbeer before, and thought there was no finer drink in the world.

They walked into Hogsmeade feeling cheerful enough, but it wasn't long before an alarmed feeling shot through Harry. The streets were completely deserted. There was no one out at all. Yet Harry knew they weren't alone.

"Looks like Potter's lost his bodyguards," said a soft, sneering, female voice. Harry could feel his blood boiling. He knew that voice!

"No Dumbledore," she continued serenely, "No Dumbledore look-a-like, Gandalf whatever-his-name-is. No Fellowship, no Order, no _Sirius!_"

"That," said Harry slowly, without bothering to turn around, "Was your last mistake ever." It was all he could do to keep his head on straight. Next to him, he felt Neville stiffen as well.

Just as he had dreaded, there was more than one person cackling behind him. Bellatrix Lestrange was there, and she wasn't alone. "What do we do?" hissed Hermione frantically.

"Attack as soon as I lower my wand," Harry muttered back, "Ready?" He lowered his wand, and all four of them spun around to face their attackers before they had time to react. Harry and Neville dove straight for Bellatrix, while Hermione and Gimli spread out and attacked from all sides.

They had the element of surprise on their side, but the advantage quickly wore off. It did not change the fact that they were heavily outnumbered. Hermione ducked and weaved among the Death Eaters like a professional duelist, but before too long a stray hex hit her, and she went down. Many of the hexes bounced right off Gimli, just as Galadriel said they would, so he was able to hang in longer. He tried to keep the number of Death Eaters at bay, but there was only so much a little dwarf could do. After a time, Antonin Dolohov came up behind him, flourished his wand, and performed the same curse he had used on Hermione, during the fight in the Ministry. Most of the spell was blocked by his armor, but some of it got past, and Gimli fell over, unconscious.

While all this had been going on, Harry and Neville had literally tackled Bellatrix, and were firing every hex that came to mind at her. She shrieked loudly for help, and somebody managed to pull Harry away. He fought back, keeping the Death Eaters from helping Bellatrix fight off Neville. She managed to struggle away, but had been hit so many times by curses, that she simply doubled over and fell again. Neville continued, relentless in his attack. Soon she did not get up again. When Neville realized this, he collapsed from exhaustion and horror at himself.

After that, it was a simple matter to subdue Harry and knock out Neville. They might have killed Bellatrix, but they had lost the battle.

A/N: Uh-oh! Now what's going to happen? Will anyone save Harry and his friends? Will Fleur, Tonks, and Arwen's first spy mission be a success? What has happened to the elves? Will the gang ever destroy Voldemort? Next week: Chapter 19: The Value of Feminine Wiles!

P.S. Just in case you were wondering, the first set of Elvish words spoken by Galadriel roughly translate to: "Stop the evil through my magic." I used the dictionary on The Council of Elrond website, but I couldn't exactly find the words I wanted. The first set is in the Quenya language, and the second is Sindarin. I suppose it doesn't matter; I successfully butchered both! ;)


	20. The Value of Feminine Wiles

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings. I also borrowed something from _The Ring_, which you'll probably be able to find.

A/N: I'm sorry this is late! I've just begun to realize what a stupid time I chose to come back from my hiatus: the holiday season! But I want you to know that I am working on Chapter 20 right now. And here's Chapter 19! Enjoy!

Chapter 19: The Value of Feminine Wiles

The Riddle House stood dark and quiet at the top of the hill, overlooking Little Hangleton. Four figures crept up the path that led to the mansion. They were, of course, Fleur and her fellow spies: Tonks, who had transformed herself into a stunning veela, Arwen, and Ginny, who had asked to come along.

"Is everyone ready?" whispered Tonks. They all nodded. "Ginny, do you know what to do?"

"Yeah," replied Ginny, "Let's go!" They quickened their pace as they made their way to the front door. Fleur marched right up and knocked. For a few minutes, no one answered. Then the door creaked open, and small, balding man poked his head out. They recognized him as Wormtail. He stared at them suspiciously for a second, and then let out a gasp as he took in their beauty.

"What may I do for you, ladies?" he sputtered.

"'Ello," said Fleur, in a low, entrancing voice. "May we come in?"

"Yes ma'am!" cried Wormtail, bowing so low, he looked like a house-elf, "Right this way, my dear ladies!" He blinked when he noticed Ginny. That redhead looked strangely familiar…

"Zis ees our friend," said Fleur carelessly, "She won't be any trouble. Let 'er in."

"Right," repeated Wormtail, "No trouble. Of course." He beckoned her in, along with the other women. The spy mission had only just begun, and it was already becoming a success!

* * *

Harry slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a dark, wooden ceiling. _Did someone change the house?_ he wondered. Then he remembered that he had been staying in Rivendell. But the rooms in Rivendell weren't dark, they had an airy, rustic feel to them. _I must've left Rivendell_, he reasoned, _But then what happened?_ He closed his eyes and tried to remember. He had gone to Rivendell with Hermione, Neville, and Gimli…Galadriel had destroyed the Horcrux…then they left…and Death Eaters had attacked! Harry sat up immediately and looked around. 

He was in a small, empty, windowless room. The door was straight ahead, and Harry tried to open it, but it was locked. It was slight chance, but he reached into his pocket to cast _Alohomora_. Panic flooded through him as he realized that his wand was gone. Someone had taken it from him; he was completely defenseless.

Harry had a bad feeling that Voldemort was going to come through that door any moment now. When he did, it would all be over.

But fortunately for Harry and his friends, Voldemort was away, and none of his Death Eaters were in the mood to summon him back. Normally they would be ecstatic to let him know about their success in such a crucial area. But right now, they had more important matters on their hands. The only women they ever had real contact with were Bellatrix and Narcissa Malfoy, and they were married. Besides, Bellatrix had just died, dwindling the female population down to a grand total of one. Now there were _four _beautiful girls in their presence, and they seemed interested in every little thing the Death Eaters did!

"The Dark Lord thinks he's so incredible!" bragged Avery, "But I'll let you ladies in on a little secret: _I _was the one who carried out the destruction of the Brockdale Bridge!"

"You mean the one that killed all those Muggles last year?" gasped Tonks, batting her eyelashes in a shocked, yet seductive way.

"That's right!" said Avery with a foolish grin, "The Dark Lord got all the credit, but _I_ was the one who thought it up and actually did it!"

Tonks smiled, looking impressed, but what she was really thinking was: _Kingsley's going to love this information! I might even get a raise!_ She had also mentioned to Kingsley Shacklebolt, now the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, that she was going to start spying on the Death Eaters.

"What else have you done?" asked Arwen encouragingly.

"Well," said Rabastan Lestrange, the brother-in-law of Bellatrix, "I've got something up my sleeve that's even _more _daring! I'm going to see if I can unleash the giants on London! Just think of it! Muggles and wizards alike will be destroyed, and the Ministry will be too busy trying to modify memories and appease the giants than do any real good!"

"Brilliant!" whispered Arwen, "When are you going to try this?"

"Well, I'd have to get the giants organized first," said Rabastan, "You probably wouldn't see anything for at least a month."

"Where are you keeping the giants?" asked Ginny.

"Oh, various caves and forests that are big enough to hide them," said Rabastan carelessly, "We have strategic points placed all throughout England!"

"How clever!" cried Ginny, "But do you know what would be _really _clever? What if you had them all written down on a map, so you'd know exactly where they are and be able to keep track of them!"

"We have just the thing!" squealed Wormtail, jumping to his feet, "If you'd like, my dear, I can show it to you!"

"I'd love to see it!" exclaimed Ginny, at the same time trying to stifle her laughter. This was too easy! She winked at her friends as she left with Wormtail.

The pair walked down the hallway, until they reached one of the last rooms. Wormtail pulled out his wand and unlocked the door.

Instantly, someone launched himself onto Wormtail, and they fell to the ground. Ginny stared in astonishment at the wrestling pair, and then realized that she recognized that untidy black hair. "Harry!" she cried.

Startled, Harry stopped fighting and turned to look at her. "Ginny?" he gasped, "What are _you_ doing here?" At that moment, Wormtail obtained the upper hand in the fight, and he quickly wrapped his arm around Harry's neck and kept his wand pointed at him.

"That's right!" he panted, and Ginny could see that all traces of Fleur's spell had left him; he recognized her now. "I see. This was all a little scheme of yours, wasn't it? You and those girls are here to spy on us, am I right?"

"No!" said Ginny fervently. _And I'm not lying,_ she thought, _This wasn't any scheme of _mine, _it was all Fleur's idea…_

"Don't lie to me!" replied Wormtail, while tightening his grip on the struggling Harry, "I have Potter right here, and I can hurt him if you don't cooperate!"

_Yeah,_ thought Ginny with an internal snarl, _You just try! You're not the only one with a wand, rat-man!_

Meanwhile, something had occurred to Harry. "You can't hurt me," he said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh really?" asked Wormtail, "And why is that?"

"Because I saved your life, four years ago," explained Harry, "And as far as I know, you still owe me."

"I don't owe you anything!" snarled Wormtail, tightening his grip even more. But Ginny saw a flash of uncertainty in his eyes, if only for a second. She decided to play along.

"Yes you do," she replied, "Everyone knows that if you owe someone a life debt, you must repay it when you have the opportunity. If you outwardly refuse to do anything, the way you're doing that now, you'll die in, er, seven days."

Wormtail puzzled over this. He had no idea if Ginny was telling the truth or not; he had never paid attention in Defense Against the Dark Arts, or any of his classes for that matter. Part of him was sure she was making this up. The other part wanted to play it safe, and let Harry go. Voldemort would never know. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" he asked.

"You'll know in seven days," replied Harry.

"How do I know _now?_"

"Ask one of your fellow Death Eaters," said Ginny, "They'll tell you I'm right."

"I will!" said Wormtail, "We'll just have you stay here, Potter. _Incarcerous!_" Ropes came out of his wand and tied Harry up. "You'll come with me, missy!" he said to Ginny with a sneer.

Ginny pretended to sigh heavily. "Whatever you say." Before Wormtail shut the door on Harry, however, she turned and winked at him. He stared back at her from the floor, looking puzzled and anxious. But Ginny felt calm. This whole problem would be solved in a few minutes.

They headed back down the hallway, to the room where Fleur, Tonks, and Arwen were still interrogating the Death Eaters. Wormtail walked in without thinking. "I have a question to ask one of you!" he said.

Fleur saw his wand pointed at Ginny, and instantly began using the best of the powers she had. "Yes?" she asked sweetly, turning her stunning blue eyes toward him innocently, "What do you need?" Just as Ginny had predicted, Wormtail fell back under her spell. He threw himself in the chair next to her, and began hanging on her every word about the most ridiculous things.

Meanwhile, Ginny secretly left the room to free Harry. He was stunned to see her return, this time alone. "How did you get away from Wormtail?" he asked.

"Fleur," explained Ginny shortly. Later on she would be more elaborate in her descriptions, but at the time, she had other things to concentrate on. "What happened to you?" she asked, "I thought you went to Rivendell!"

"We did," replied Harry, "We ran into some trouble on the way home. What are you doing here?"

"Fleur, Tonks, Arwen and I are spying," answered Ginny, "You won't believe how crazy these men can be over a part-veela."

"Oh, I believe it," said Harry, remembering a few incidents at the Quidditch World Cup, when a troupe of veela had been the Bulgarian mascots. He himself had been caught under their spell.

They quickly located Hermione, Neville, and Gimli in three separate rooms. All of them seemed unharmed. The girls had distracted the Death Eaters just in time. They quietly snuck past the room where Fleur, Tonks, and Arwen were still talking, and Ginny led them out the door. A few minutes later, the other three caught up.

"That was the hardest part," remarked Tonks, "Getting away from them."

"Oh, and here are your wands," said Arwen, "We managed to get them back for you."

"Thanks," said Harry, pocketing it gratefully.

"Are we going to go back? Because Wormtail did figure out what we were up to when he recognized me," said Ginny.

"'E won't remember," said Fleur, "I put a Memory Charm on zem, so zey will 'ave trouble recalling zat last 'our."

"That was a brilliant idea Fleur!" said Hermione, "Did you find out anything?"

"Lots," said Fleur, "We 'ave some good information 'ere. Or should I say, bad."

"Why?" asked Harry, "What's up?"

"They mentioned that Voldemort has someone helping him, someone who knows quite a lot about us," said Arwen.

"Us?" asked Harry in alarm.

"I should have been more specific," said Arwen, "By 'us', I meant the people from Middle Earth."

"Middle Earth?" asked Gimli, "Do you mean Sauron?"

"I don't know," said Arwen, "They never said. I don't think it could possibly be Sauron, though. He was definitely destroyed along with the Ring. Whoever it is, he doesn't talk to the Death Eaters that much. He spends most of his time with Voldemort."

"How did you find this out?" asked Harry.

"Aragorn told me you'd suspected someone was helping Voldemort, so I asked. They were very glad to tell me what they knew," replied Arwen with a sly little smile.

"Listen everyone," interrupted Tonks, "I need to go to the Ministry and report everything to Kingsley. Do you want to come along?" They all agreed, Harry somewhat reluctantly, and set off for London.

The Atrium looked much different from the last time Harry had been there. The Fountain of Magical Brethren had been repaired, for one thing. It was also much more crowded, and the air was tense. Wizards and witches were coming in and out, all looked exhausted and strained. Nobody paid any attention to the newcomers, not even Harry. Tonks pushed through the crowd and led the way to the security desk. They were allowed through, and continued to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Here, the level of anxiety in the air rose considerably. Some people waved to Tonks, but most didn't look up from their work.

At that moment, Kingsley came out of his office, talking to Scrimgeour, and, to Harry's horror, Umbridge! They didn't see him at first, until Kingsley looked up to point out something to the Minister. He smiled and beckoned them forward. "Do you have anything for me, Tonks?"

"Right here," said Tonks proudly, "We snatched a map of all the giants' locations. Rabastan Lestrange wants to use them to attack London in about a month."

"Excellent work!" said Kingsley, "We'll see if we can send out some people from the Department of Magical Creatures to take care of this. Thank you Tonks."

"Ah, Harry Potter!" said Scrimgeour, ignoring the others, "Did you help with this?"

"No," said Harry, trying to hide his smile, "I'm just here with Tonks."

"Have you given any more thought to…"

"No. I've got a lot on my mind, to be honest with you."

"Yes, well…" Scrimgeour looked unhappy that he couldn't confront Harry again, with everyone else around. But he decided that he would not be denied. "Do you think I could speak to you privately, Harry?"

"Sure," said Harry with a shrug. This might get interesting.

After they had walked away, Kingsley led Tonks, along with the rest of the girls, into his office to discuss their strategies. Hermione and Neville followed, eager to escape Umbridge. But Umbridge noticed something was strange about Gimli, and had to pull him aside.

"Excuse me," she said sweetly, "I couldn't help but notice how different you look. Are you human?"

Gimli stared at her, not quite sure how to react. "Well, no," he said finally, "I'm a dwarf. Why do ask?"

"Well then," she said slowly, as her voice lost its sweetness, "I'm not sure you're aware of this, but you're out-of-bounds here. Half-breeds like yourself are not allowed within the Ministry of Magic, except on special occasions when given an invitation."

Gimli was shocked, not to mention outraged. "Oh really?" he said coldly, "Harry never mentioned those laws to me."

"Well, I have personally taught Mr. Potter, and I can assure he does not have the best reputation here. He has a criminal record, and tends to think the rules don't matter. But they do, which is why I am asking you politely to leave this building."

"Who are you?" asked Gimli, his voice rising steadily.

Umbridge took a slight step back in alarm, then said, "I am Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic!"

"_I knew it!_" roared Gimli, swinging his axe out, "You're that nasty piece of vermin who gave Harry so much trouble! I know how you feel about my kind, and I've been meaning to straighten you out for quite some time!" He lashed out at her with his axe.

Umbridge shrieked and flung herself into Kingsley's office. "HELP ME!" she screamed, "That wild half-breed is trying to kill me!"

Everyone else saw in an instant what had happened. When Gimli came running in seconds later, swinging his axe, and Umbridge dove behind Kingsley's desk, it was all they could do to keep themselves from laughing. "Don't just stand there!" she squealed, "Stop him Shacklebolt!"

"She tried to trick me into thinking I wasn't allowed here, just because I'm not human!" shouted Gimli.

"That's ridiculous," replied Kingsley sternly, "Madam Umbridge, if you don't want people to attack you, try not to insult them in such a vile manner. And Gimli, please do not attack one of the Minister's secretaries. I wouldn't want to report you later."

"I'll apologize when she does!" replied Gimli, who was being held back by Hermione, Neville, and Arwen.

"Never!" shrieked Umbridge, "Shacklebolt's right! You can't attack me inside the Ministry!"

"Watch me!" yelled Gimli.

"Tonks, would you please escort Madam Umbridge back to her office?" asked Kingsley, "I will deal with Gimli."

Tonks grimaced, but was eventually able to coax Umbridge to come out from behind the desk, and go back to her office. Soon after that, Harry came back. He laughed when he heard about what happened, but was furious when he learned why. "She was lying," he said, "There's no such law. I'm sorry she said that to you, Gimli."

"Don't mention it lad," said Gimli, "I'm only sorry I didn't get to properly bash her head in."

"Well, at least you scared her," said Harry, "She won't be attacking half-breeds for a _long_ time."

They finally said goodbye to Fleur and Tonks, and headed back to Godric's Hollow, where they told everyone else what happened. Hermione also remembered what Galadriel had said about some of the elves disappearing. Arwen and Legolas were especially disturbed to hear this. "I think I'd better go home and see if I can help," said Legolas.

"Galadriel said not to worry about it," said Hermione, "I think you should stay here. They're already doing everything they can."

"She's right," said Gandalf, "Besides, you would make things worse by being there, Legolas. You'd put yourself in more danger, when we need you here."

"Do you think You-Know-Who's behind it?" asked Ron.

"No," said Harry, "Did you hear anything?" he asked Arwen and Ginny.

"No," replied Ginny, "But we'll look into it, just to be safe."

"Thanks," replied Harry, "And thanks for rescuing us today."

Ginny grinned. One thing was certain: she would never have to worry about her boyfriend underestimating her ever again!

_Next chapter: Knight-mare on the Bus! What does that mean? You'll just have to wait and see!_


	21. Knightmare on the Bus!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 20: Knight-mare on the Bus!

April arrived, and with it came Fred and George's birthday. Turning nineteen wasn't such an important event in the wizarding community, but the twins decided to make it that way. They closed the shop for the day in order to celebrate with Lee, Merry, and Pippin!

Back at Godric's Hollow, Harry took Ginny aside. "I was thinking, you still don't know how to Apparate," he told her.

"Right. Are you suggesting teaching me?"

"If you want to, I thought it'd be a good idea," replied Harry.

"It is," said Ginny, "And Luna doesn't know how to either, so maybe you could teach her too?"

"I'll try," said Harry, "Bring her in." He had realized how crucial it would be if one of them was trapped and needed a quick, easy way to escape. Apparition would be the best method, but not everyone could do it. Still, even though there was nothing to be done for his Middle Earth friends, Harry knew he could help Ginny.

* * *

Meanwhile, several of the families living in Diagon Alley were debating on whether to summon Ministry officials. Obviously, these were dangerous times, and they didn't want the government angry over what would probably look like a false alarm. On the other hand, the owners of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes were causing such a racket; it was probably only fair that _somebody_ put a stop to them!

Finally, Tom was hearing so many complaints at the Leaky Cauldron; he decided to talk to the boys himself. He found mass chaos in the shop. Shelves and boxes had been knocked over by the Wild-fired Whiz-bangs, butterbeer bottles were rolling all over the floor, the place was littered with Exploding Snap cards, and Lee Jordan was slumped on a stool with a vacant expression on his face.

"Ok Pippin," Fred was laughing, "I think that's enough on the Whiz-bangs, we need those for selling _and _self-defense!"

"Fine," said Pippin glumly, putting one of the boxes back.

"Isn't he awake yet?" asked George, waving a hand in front of Lee's face. He didn't react. They had all helped themselves to a box of the Patented Daydream Charms, and then had to tell the rest of the gang exactly what their dream had been about. No details could be left out, especially if there was romance involved. This was the twins' birthday after all, and they needed more than one way of entertaining themselves!

Tom cleared his throat, and they looked up. "Ah, Tom!" said Fred, "Just who we wanted to see! Do you think you could get us some firewhiskey?"

"Er…I'm afraid not, boys," said Tom. He ignored their crestfallen faces and continued, "The rest of the neighborhood's been complaining. They think you're making too much noise, and I'm afraid firewhiskey would only make it worse. I'm actually here to ask you if you wouldn't mind toning it down a notch."

They looked at one another. "But where else are we supposed to go?" asked Merry, "Mrs. Weasley would be much less tolerant than you, and Harry won't want us throwing a loud party at God…where we're staying."

"I'm sorry," said Tom, "But I'd prefer if my day didn't consist of me hearing the same complaints for hours. They're even talking about reporting you to the Ministry."

"Oh," said George, "Thanks Tom. We'll think of something else."

"I appreciate it," said Tom.

"Well?" asked Merry, after he'd left, "Now what do we do? I can't believe you guys gave in like that!"

"I said we'd think of something else," corrected George, "I never said anything about giving up!"

"Yeah, who do you think we are?" asked Fred.

"Sorry," said Merry, "So what's your plan?"

"Plan? What plan?" asked Lee, suddenly waking up.

"Excellent, you're awake," said Fred, "Then for starters, you can tell us what your dream was about!"

"I'd rather not," said Lee, as his face started to burn with embarrassment.

"Lee, what were the rules?" asked Fred.

"Sharing first; privacy never," groaned Lee.

"That's right!" said Fred, beaming, "Now, what did you dream about?"

"Nothing!"

"You didn't dream about _nothing_, you were out longer than the rest of us…"

Lee picked up the box. "That's because I used one that says 'Daydream Charms: Part 2'."

George examined the box. "Oh yeah," he said, "Well, what do you know? We weren't supposed to stock these yet. We haven't even tested them!"

"Pippin, aren't you in charge of stock?" asked Fred.

"Yeah," said Pippin sheepishly, "But I _did_ give the job to Merry for one day…"

"Nice try," replied Fred, "Now Lee, stop changing the subject. Tell us what your dream was about."

Lee groaned. There was no backing out of this one, but he was going to be the laughingstock of the group for a very long time! "Well," he began, "I was sneaking into Umbridge's office. This must've been back when we were at Hogwarts. I was going to unleash five Nifflers on the office, instead of one. I turned around to leave, when Angelina Johnson walked in."

The twins started snickering. They remembered how Lee had used to have a crush on Angelina during their school days. Lee just shuddered. He knew everything was about to get much, much worse.

"She started talking to me about Quidditch. She told me how much she loved my commentaries, and how she really did want to go out with me, but thought it would cause a lot of gossip at Hogwarts. She wasn't prepared to handle that. I told her…we could have a secret romance if she wanted…"

"And?" asked Pippin eagerly.

"And…she _really _liked that idea…" Lee was mortified. It was one thing to shout random things to her during commentaries, one thing to brag to his friends about how she really did like him, despite the opposing evidence. It was quite another to have to do _this_. "So she came over…"

"And you started kissing?" asked Merry.

Lee nodded quickly.

"Thought so," said Merry, as the others started laughing, "It was obvious right from the beginning."

"Is there more to it?" asked George.

"Er…"

"That means yes!" cried George gleefully, "Well, go on. Tell us!"

Lee shut his eyes. This next part would be painful. "So we were kissing, when all of the sudden, she started changing. Her body began to shrink, her skin grew paler and flabbier, and her hair turned gray. She…she turned into…Umbridge!"

"_You were kissing Umbridge?_" gasped Fred.

"Yes!" moaned Lee.

There was a few seconds of silence, and then his friends began howling with laughter. Merry and Pippin were rolling on the floor, the twins had tears in their eyes. "That's not a dream!" gasped Fred, "That's a nightmare!"

"Looks like we have to go back to testing them," said George.

"Come now," said Merry, with an evil grin, "I think Lee and Umbridge make a very cute couple!"

"Shut up!" groaned Lee.

"Is there more to it?" asked Merry.

"Well…I tried to break away, obviously, but…she just wouldn't let go…"

That set the four of them off again. They were laughing so hard, they could scarcely breathe. "That is the most disgusting dream I have ever heard of!" said George.

"Thanks," said Lee dryly. "But then Snape walked in on us…"

"_What?!_" howled Pippin, "This just gets better and better!"

"Yeah, well, he walked in on us, and then things actually started going the way I wanted them too. He started yelling at Umbridge, blamed the whole thing on her, and then he pried her away from me. He took her down to the dungeons and made her clean up the huge mess the first-years made."

"A fitting end!" laughed Pippin.

"Wait a minute," said Merry, "Did you say he had to _pry _her away from you?"

"Well…well…maybe, just a little bit…"

"_Awwwww!_" said the others in unison, before they started cackling.

"Shut. Up."

"Well, that was fun to listen to, but it looks like we need to retrace our steps on that product," remarked George, "Unless of course, you enjoyed every minute of that, Lee. If you did, then I see no reason to change it!"

"What did I just say?" groaned Lee.

* * *

"Ok guys," said Harry, "I don't think I can be the best teacher of Apparition. I'm not even that good at it myself."

"Nonsense," said Ginny, "You were a great D.A. coach."

"That was different," said Harry, "This is harder than casting spells."

"My dad was planning on teaching me," said Luna dreamily, "But we didn't get to do a lot. Something about destination, deliberation, determination?"

"Yeah," said Harry with a grin, "The Three D's. You just have them in the wrong order. First it's Destination. You have to visualize where you want to go. I want you guys to simply Apparate to the other side of the room." He watched as the girls shut their eyes, imagining the other side of the room in their heads. "Then there's Determination. You have to really, really, want to be on the other side of the room. You have to _long _to be on the other side of the room. Got it?"

"I'm trying," replied Ginny, not bothering to open her eyes.

"Luna?"

"Yes, I understand," she said happily.

"Ok, the final step is Deliberation. You have to step forward and will yourself to be where you're Apparating to."

Luna almost did it. There was a _pop!_ sound, but she only made it halfway. Ginny stumbled a few feet forward, but that was the extent of it.

"Ok," said Harry reassuringly, "That wasn't bad. Luna, you did great for the first time!"

"That wasn't my first time," said Luna absentmindedly, "Like I said, Dad started to teach me, but he never finished."

"That's still really good," replied Harry, "Let's try that again."

* * *

"Say," said Pippin, "I have an idea. Let's ride the Knight Bus!"

"Where to?" asked Merry excitedly.

"Who cares?" replied Pippin.

Everyone cheered. "Brilliant!" said Fred, "I'll flag it down!"

The giant purple bus appeared with its typical BANG! Laughing, the five of them ran aboard, ignoring their neighbors' glares and shaking fists.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus," said Stan.

"Yeah, yeah, we know," said George, stuffing some gold in his hand.

"Where'll we be taking you gents today?" asked Stan.

They looked at each other. "Just around London," said Pippin.

"Got it!" said Stan, "Take 'er away, Ernie!"

The bus lurched forward, and the boys screamed with delight as they began their rollercoaster-like journey!

* * *

Five tries later, the girls were starting to look discouraged. Harry tried to keep their spirits up, but it was no good. "Come on," he said, "Let's try again. You almost had it."

They tried again. This time, however, things turned out worse than Harry had anticipated. Ginny screamed in pain; her left arm had been Splinched! "Ginny!" cried Harry, rushing over to her, and wincing at the sight. "Are you ok?"

"No!" cried Ginny, fighting back tears. The pain was worse than she could have ever imagined. "Can anyone here fix it?"

"I'll go get Hermione," said Luna.

"Hurry!" shouted Harry, as he laid a comforting arm on Ginny's other shoulder. It was the best he could do under the circumstances.

* * *

"Stop the bus, Ern," said Stan, "Someone's flaggin' us down!"

Ernie did as he was told. The doors opened, and several hooded Death Eaters climbed aboard. Stan turned pale and started shaking. With apparent ease, the lead Death Eater Stunned him, and then turned towards the boys. He and his minions began cackling.

"Quick!" shouted Merry, "Up the stairs!" The boys followed him to the second floor, just as Ernie, who had not been paying attention to what was happening, slammed the door and zoomed forward. The Death Eaters, who had been making their way towards the stairs, ending up falling flat on their faces and began rolling all over the floor. As for the boys, all they could do was hold on tightly to the stair rail! Fred and George managed to cast a few spells towards their enemies, but their aim was poor, due to the fact that the bus kept lurching around in different directions.

All this time, Ernie was oblivious to what was going on. He continued making his usual stops. The Death Eaters would seize this opportunity to get closer to the boys, who would continue moving farther away. The new passengers who started to climb aboard, however, saw what was happening and immediately got off again.

"Keep moving!" shouted Fred, leading the gang towards the third floor.

"Come on you fools!" shouted the lead Death Eater, who happened to be Rodolphus Lestrange. He was still furious about his wife's death, and meant to avenge her by any means necessary. But every time he tried to get up, he was simply knocked over again.

* * *

Back at Godric's Hollow, everyone came to see what had happened to Ginny. By now, the pain had grown so bad that she'd fainted. Harry sat next to her, running his fingers through her hair gently. He couldn't look at her arm, it made him feel sick.

"_Ginny!_" shouted Ron, "Is she ok? What are we going to do?"

"Hermione, can you do something?" begged Harry.

"Not me," said Hermione, "We'd better get her to St. Mungo's!"

"How are we going to do that?" asked Aragorn, struggling not to wince.

Gandalf produced a clean cloth, which he bravely used to wrap around Ginny's splinched arm. Then Harry wrapped his own arm firmly around Ginny's waist, visualized St. Mungo's and Apparated there.

With his fame, not to mention the seriousness of the situation, it was fairly simple to get help from the Healers with relatively few questions asked. They took Ginny up to the Spell Damage ward, and when Gandalf appeared moments later, quickly re-attached the arm. The Healers were also gracious enough to let Ginny stay in her bed until she had woken up and was feeling better.

* * *

Not far away, the Knight Bus was stopping by the Ministry of Magic. Ernie still didn't have a clue what was going on behind him. Most of this strange battle was taking place upstairs anyway.

The bus stopped to pick up one passenger. It was a young man with red hair and freckles: Percy Weasley.

Percy was exhausted; it had been another hard day at the Ministry. With a slight pang, he realized that he had not seen his father at all. It hurt to have his entire family hate him, but it hurt even more to admit he had been wrong. Sighing heavily, Percy sank into the nearest chair and closed his eyes.

But they were not closed for long. Several loud bangs from upstairs attracted his attention. He climbed up the staircase and was shocked to see several bodies lying there. Bodies wearing Death Eater robes. Realizing what this meant, Percy charged forward, running up the stairs to the final floor. He was horrified to see his twin brothers, as well as their friends, cornered at the very back of the bus.

Rodolphus laughed. "You can't hide from us anymore!" he sneered, raising his wand. Quietly from behind, Percy did the same.

Suddenly, the bus pulled out, and everyone fell over again.

* * *

Ginny opened her eyes, and saw Harry at her side. With a sudden relief, she realized the pain was gone, and she could feel her arm working again. "Hi!" she said cheerfully.

"Ginny! How are you feeling?" asked Harry anxiously.

"Fine," she said, bouncing right up. "What about you?"

"I've been feeling a bit nauseous since you had your accident, but I plan to recover."

She laughed. "Well, when am I allowed to leave?"

"As soon as you're ready."

"Excellent! We have to get home so I can practice again! I _know_ I almost had it!"

Harry shook his head. "Not today."

"What?! But I feel great! Is this your way of trying to protect me again?"

"No," said Harry, "But I don't think any of us fancy going to the hospital twice in one day, _for the same accident!_"

"You make a good point," sighed Ginny reluctantly, "But I expect lessons to continue tomorrow!"

"Deal!"

* * *

At last, the bus pulled into its final stop, Diagon Alley. Rodolphus and his friends got up, only to have Percy attack them from behind. The others joined in to help him, and soon Percy had them all on the ground, bound and unconscious.

"I'll be taking them back to the Ministry," he said lightly.

"Is that why you helped us?" asked Fred bitterly, "So you could bring more glory to yourself?"

"No," said Percy softly, staring at the ground. He couldn't look at their faces; he knew they were all glaring at him, and he felt so ashamed. Finally, after a long, awkward pause, he trudged slowly down the stairs, levitating the Death Eaters' bodies in front of him.

For the first time, the twins felt unsure of what to do. They knew he had just saved their lives because he wanted to help _them_, but years of hatred are hard to overcome. It was Pippin who broke the ice. He went over to the stairs and called out, "Thanks Percy!" Swallowing their pride for a single instant, Fred and George followed suit.

Percy looked back and smiled. "No problem," he said, "Say hello to everyone for me!"

The twins nodded, and watched Percy get off the bus, Death Eaters in tow.

A/N: _How will the others react to Percy saving Fred and George? Will Ginny and Luna learn to Apparate? Have Fleur and her spy team learned anything new? Stay tuned for Chapter 21: Azkaban Attacked! Note: Despite the title, there are no major battle sequences in the upcoming chapter!_


	22. Arwen's Rescue Mission

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: Merry (belated) Christmas! Here's your Christmas present: Double Chapter Update!! The bad news is, Chapter 22 (or 23, because of the prologue) ends on a cliffhanger! Just a little heads-up! Oh, and one other thing: I changed the chapter title, because it didn't fit anymore.

Chapter 21: Arwen's Rescue Mission

"Wow," said Ron slowly, "So Percy saved you guys? Wow…"

"I know," said Fred, "Funny how it all worked out, isn't it?"

"We should invite him over here some time," said Hermione.

"No!" shouted the twins, Ron, and Ginny. Despite what had happened, they seemed horrified with the idea of seeing Percy again.

Hermione glared at them. "A nice way to say thank you."

"Hermione," said Ginny seriously, "You've never had someone from your own family turn on you. It's not something that can be forgiven so easily."

"Percy seemed willing to make an effort," Hermione retorted, "And he's the one who started this whole thing, if I remember correctly."

"We can settle this later," said Aragorn hastily, ever the diplomat, "Did you discover anything else?"

"Only that Lee seems to have harbored a secret love interest in Umbridge," said Fred with an evil smile.

"WHAT?" everyone gasped.

"Just kidding," said Fred, while sharing a small wink with the other three.

As the weeks passed, Harry continued to teach Ginny and Luna how to Apparate, with a vigilant Hermione and Gandalf always nearby. Ginny had her hands full, both with Apparition lessons and spying with Fleur, Tonks, and Arwen. Thanks to Tonks' information, the giant attack on London had been prevented, though Rabastan couldn't understand how. But they were getting hints that some much bigger projects were in motion: one involving Harry, the other, an army. Neither made the girls feel any better, so they did all they could to find out more.

Meanwhile, Harry had not forgotten the secret plan he'd thought of so many months ago. He and Gandalf had made some headway, and were debating whether or not to reveal the idea to the others. The positive argument was that the group might need a morale booster. The negative argument was that they still weren't 100 sure that it would work, and that if they failed, it would have a much worse impact on everyone.

Finally, Harry decided to tell everyone at dinner the following week. "I had this idea," he said, "Gandalf and I have tried it out a little bit, and we think it has a fair shot of succeeding."

"What is it?" asked Aragorn.

"Well, Gandalf said that different wizards' magic can have a stronger impact in other worlds. So I thought that maybe, if he used his staff to cast the Patronus spell, it might end up destroying the dementors all together!"

There was a long silence. Everyone stared at Harry until his face turned red. "Well, _I_ thought it was a good idea," he muttered sheepishly.

"Good? It's brilliant!" exclaimed Ron.

"Are you sure about this Harry?" asked Hermione, "You'd need a dementor to properly test the spell, and I don't see how you're going to find one on its own…"

"That'll be the tricky part," Harry admitted.

At this point, Gandalf spoke up, "However, Harry and I agree that it will be worth the risk if we can destroy the creatures once and for all."

"Well, if anyone can do it, it'll be you two," said Sam, "You're both some of the most powerful wizards I've ever seen!"

"Thanks Sam," said Harry, not mentioning that they were some of the _only _wizards he had ever seen.

While Harry and Gandalf discussed ways to find a dementor, Fleur, Tonks, Arwen, and Ginny continued their own investigation. They would not like what they were about to find out.

Every time the girls left the Death Eaters, Fleur applied her little charm that kept the men from remembering all they'd given away. So every time they returned, it was like a new experience for the Death Eaters, except that they all had the annoying feeling that they'd seen these beautiful women before. Still, they were more than happy to keep revealing information.

"My goodness," giggled Arwen, "Is there anyone more powerful than your master?"

"Nope!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Well, there is that other man…"

"What other man?" asked Arwen breathlessly, locking her beautiful gray eyes on to Avery.

"That other man," mumbled Avery. He looked and sounded like he was drunk. "What's-his-name. He's helped the Dark Lord devise a new recruiting system."

"A recruiting system?" gasped Tonks, "What kind of recruiting system?"

"They've been collecting these strange people, who look as pretty as you!" said Avery, smiling at the girls. He caught Arwen's horrified expression and grew pale himself. "Not you, my dear, much less prettier than you! But you know, they do have the same kind of ears…not that there's anything wrong with your ears of course! Please don't look at me like that!"

Arwen collected herself. "It's quite alright," she said, which couldn't have been further from the truth.

"Tell us more!" said Fleur urgently, "Where are zese beautiful people?"

"We told you!" grunted Crabbe, "They aren't as beautiful as you!"

"Idiot!" muttered Goyle, hitting Avery over the head.

"We want to see zem!" insisted Fleur, "Please?" She gave them a sweet, innocent smile.

The Death Eaters looked at each other, and then all began shouting in unison over who was going to escort who.

"I think that's a yes," said Ginny, trying not to smile.

* * *

Back at Godric's Hollow, Harry was coming up with another crazy idea. He decided to tell Aragorn first this time. Aragorn was probably one of the few who wouldn't panic on the spot and start questioning his sanity.

"Hear me out," he said slowly, "The dementors seem especially attracted to me, right?"

"I suppose," said Aragorn, "I wouldn't know for sure."

"Well, they've behaved that way so far. I'm wondering if I went out to look for one myself, with Gandalf by my side of course, if one might come up? Then Gandalf could try out the Patronus Charm, and we'll know if it works."

"You're suggesting sacrificing yourself?" asked Aragorn, while hiding any expression that might give his misgivings away.

"Yeah."

"Can you protect yourselves if it doesn't work?"

"Yeah, I can conjure a Patronus just fine."

"Then I say go for it. Just don't tell Hermione."

Harry was pleased by his friend's reaction, but he got a slightly different one from Gandalf. "You're mad!" grumbled the old wizard.

"I…what?"

"What do you plan on doing if more than one dementor shows up? It's very probable that this will happen, I might add."

"I know!" replied Harry indignantly, "I created a Patronus once that drove away over a hundred dementors! I can handle myself if your spell doesn't work!"

Gandalf nodded, "I just wanted to make sure you had thought of everything."

"So you'll do it?" asked Harry hopefully.

"What other choice do we have?" replied Gandalf, "We'll never find one by waiting here."

* * *

The Death Eaters led the girls into the kitchen, and lifted up the door that led to the cellar. Feeling anxious, they followed the men, not wanting to know what was there, but knowing they had no choice. Arwen went first. What she saw almost made her scream.

The mystery of where the elves had been disappearing to was all but solved. There were many of them all lined together, chained to the walls. Most appeared to be asleep. Ginny clutched Arwen's arm, trying to keep her friend upright. "I don't understand," whispered Arwen, "How did they manage to take them all? My father should've seen them!"

The Death Eaters had not noticed the ladies' distress. "There's plenty more!" said Avery proudly, opening another door. The girls were horrified to see that it was Voldemort's personal dungeons. There were many more elves inside, in all of the cells. Clearly, he had begun to run out of room, and moved the rest to the cellar.

Tonks, being an Auror, had seen plenty of horrors before, so she was naturally the first to recover. "How long has your Master had these people here?" she asked sweetly.

"Oh, weeks and weeks," said Rabastan, "They want to experiment on them or something. Apparently you can turn them into these monstrous creatures, and our Master and his friend want to find out how, so they can make the army larger."

"I'm sorry," said Fleur quickly, "Ze air ees too cold for my friend. I will take 'er upstairs, and zen I will return!" She took Arwen's arm, and led her up to the kitchen. The poor elf could barely keep herself from fainting.

"_Orcs!_" she cried in disgust as soon as they were out of earshot, "Those foul monsters want to turn my people into _orcs!_ No one has been able to do that since the days when Sauron was first powerful!"

"Will You-Know-Who learn 'ow to do eet?" asked Fleur nervously.

"I don't know!" cried Arwen, "He obviously hasn't figured it out yet, and I'm not going to wait for him! We have to rescue my people now!"

"We will," Fleur assured her, "Wait until we've got zem back een ze parlor. Zen you and Tonks can go back and free ze elves."

Arwen agreed, and waited for Fleur to return with everyone else. Then, with a wink, the veela led the men back into the parlor, with Ginny by her side. Tonks motioned to Arwen, and together they returned to the cellar. Arwen woke the elves in the dungeons, while Tonks covered the cellar. The princess felt even more sick as she recognized many of the people from Rivendell. On the other hand, they were overjoyed to see her. "Is it really you, my Lady?" asked one of the younger ones, who Arwen realized used to serve her back at home.

"Yes," she said, hugging her tightly, and each of her friends in turn, "I've come to get you out!"

At that moment, Tonks stuck her head in. Her eyes were wide and panic-stricken. "Hurry!" she said, "Ginny says the Death Eaters are Disapparating. Apparently they all felt their Marks burn!"

Arwen frowned. "That means Voldemort summoned them, correct?"

"Yes!" said Tonks, "If they all come back with _him_, we're dead! Not even a veela could flatter _him!_ So we have to go, now!"

"Very well, we're coming," replied Arwen. She finished unlocking the rest of the cells, and all the elves fled upstairs.

Once outside, they all looked around. "Now what?" asked one.

The girls looked at each other. They had not thought of this. There was no way they could transport that many elves to Hogwarts, and then to Rivendell. Finally, Ginny realized the inevitable answer. "I guess we have to take the Knight Bus," she groaned.

The elves were terrified of the bus, naturally, but it was big enough to fit all of them. Tonks glared at Stan and threatened to hex him the moment he started asking questions. He gulped and agreed to take them to Hogsmeade immediately. After that, it would be a simple matter of getting them all through the portal, and home.

* * *

"Where to?" asked Gandalf, the moment he and Harry had stepped out of the house.

"The _Prophet _and the first Defense Guide mentioned that all the fog was coming from the dementors. Apparently they've been breeding."

It was a rare moment that Gandalf shuddered, but he did now. "We must move quickly," he said, "Let's find the mistiest area and get this over with."

Harry nodded, and they walked for a long time. Nothing showed up. Harry's fear slowly left him, and he began to think this was all a stupid idea. What if no dementor came at all? Then what would they do?

His thoughts soon evaporated as he began to feel extremely cold. "Do you feel that, Gandalf?" he asked anxiously.

"Yes," replied the old wizard, gritting his teeth, "That means were close?"

"Yeah," said Harry, as he held his wand out. Sure enough, he heard a slow, rattling breath, and began to shake all over. Several huge dementors loomed ahead in the fog, and they drew closer. "Now, Gandalf!" moaned Harry.

Gandalf lifted his staff, thought of the moment when Frodo had first woken up in Minas Tirith, after Sauron had been defeated, and shouted, "_Expecto Patronum!_"

A huge silver eagle erupted from his staff! It was the most beautiful, brilliant Patronus that Harry had ever seen, and he needed to shield his eyes. With a shriek, the eagle flew toward the dementors. They cowered and tried to flee, but it only flew faster, swooping right through them. The dementors let out loud shrieks, and suddenly combusted right in front of Harry and Gandalf. They stared, wide-eyed, at the spectacle. Once the dementors had been destroyed, the eagle Patronus flew through the air, scanning the perimeters. It realized there was no more danger, and dissolved into thin air.

"Wow!" gasped Harry, "That turned out pretty good!"

Gandalf laughed in relief. Then his face got more serious. "Tomorrow," he said, "I'm going to leave, and I won't come back until all the dementors are destroyed for good."

Harry stared at him. "Are you serious? There's a lot of them; it'll take ages to find them all."

Gandalf sighed. "Don't worry about me," he said, "I've undergone more tedious tasks than this. And I'm much more resourceful than you think. With any luck, I'll be back in a month."

Harry couldn't like the idea of any friend of his fighting dementors for a month. But he knew it was the only way. Besides, after seeing that particular fight, he realized that Gandalf would probably have little trouble subduing anything in his path.

* * *

Elrond, Galadriel, and Celeborn were overjoyed to see that the missing elves were safe, as well as Thranduil, the king of Mirkwood who had come to Rivendell as soon as he heard what was going on. The former prisoners explained that each abduction had been a nightly operation, performed by a few Death Eaters wearing their typical clothes. They had all woken up trapped in the cellar. It had been a horrible ordeal for the elves, and their leaders were furious with Voldemort and his helpers, but they managed to put aside their ill feelings for a night of rejoicing. The girls stayed behind to join the party, where they were honored as the heroines they were! Arwen was also thrilled to be home, and felt reluctant to leave the next morning. After a final parting with her father however, she led her friends through the portal, and they returned to Godric's Hollow. 


	23. The Third Prophecy

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: YIPPEE! We're at the beginning of the end! This is the first of the _final chapters!_ Wow! So exciting!

Chapter 22: The Third Prophecy

If Voldemort was enraged that all his prisoners had escaped, Fleur and her fellow spies reported that it was only causing him to devote more energy into his other plans. They said that he was apparently employing his Death Eaters' children, and training them to be cold and heartless, like himself. They were particularly alarmed with the change in Draco Malfoy. When Harry had last seen him, he had been a frightened member of Voldemort's army, not agreeing with the Order of the Phoenix, but not willing to sink to the brutality that his own father was capable of. But months of fear had hardened Malfoy it seemed. He had no choice but to actively participate in Voldemort's evildoings, because it was the only way he would survive.

To make matters worse, the girls, along with the _Daily Prophet_ reported that the Death Eaters has attacked Azkaban, and were believed to be using that as a new fortress. The rest of the prisoners had been freed, and the Ministry was at a loss, unsure of how to recapture them all.

"This is bad," said Ron, "Really bad. It's like, the more times we stop them, the more they come back and gain ground. What are we going to do?"

"We'll keep fighting of course," replied Gimli, "What else can we do?"

The door banged open, and the twins, Merry, and Pippin came in. "Harry!" called Pippin, "Aragorn! You have to come quick!"

"What's wrong, Pippin?" asked Frodo in alarm, "You shouldn't be home yet!"

"There's been this old man hanging outside our shop for the past few weeks," explained Fred, "People think he's a Seer."

"A real one?" asked Hermione skeptically.

"Apparently," said Fred, "He likes to make predictions, the way Trelawney used to. But the thing that got us was that he started moaning that he had to speak to Harry…"

"Why am I not surprised?" groaned Harry.

"…and Aragorn," finished Fred.

There was a long pause. "Me?" asked Aragorn finally, "Did he actually say my name?"

"Yeah," said George, "Weird, huh?"

"What does he want with us?" asked Harry.

"We don't know," replied Merry, "He just started repeating that he needed to see Harry Potter and Aragorn, son of Arathorn."

Harry pondered over this. "Hmm," he said aloud, "It might be worth looking into."

"I'll come with you then," said Aragorn.

"Me too," said Ron.

"Could I come too?" asked Hermione, "I'd like to see this Seer for myself."

"So would I," said Gimli.

"I guess you could come, if you want to," Harry decided. In the end, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Gimli agreed to go. Legolas, who had just walked in from a visit with the centaurs, also wanted to come. Neither Arwen nor Frodo was at all interested, and Sam and Neville were a bit frightened by the idea of meeting a real Seer. Luna would have wanted to come, of course, but she had agreed to visit her father again for the day. As for Gandalf, he had still not returned from his dementor hunting.

They all made their way to Diagon Alley, where the old man was huddled outside Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, just like the twins had said. He was rocking back and forth, and as they drew closer, he said in a hoarse voice:

"_THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN STEM THE TIDE OF EVIL ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE PASSED ON BEFORE US. THEY WILL BE SUMMONED BY THE TWO HEIRS, ONE OF A FOUNDER, AND ONE OF KINGS, FOR THEY ALONE CAN PASS THROUGH THE VEIL THAT SEPERATES THE LIVING FROM THE DEAD._"

Then he groaned and slumped over. Ron was the first to speak. "Is he ok?"

George bent down to check. "He's asleep, I think."

"Was he speaking about us?" asked Aragorn.

"Yes," said Legolas, "Two heirs. One is the heir of kings, that's obviously you, Aragorn, and one's the heir of a founder, the founder of Hogwarts. Godric Gryffindor. That's you, Harry."

"What are you two going to do?" asked Pippin.

Harry and Aragorn looked at each other. "Well," said Harry, "If we summoned a dead army once, I guess we can do it again. And if it can stop Voldemort, what else can we do but try it?"

"I like it," said Fred thoughtfully, "Summoning a dead army worked really well at Pelennor Fields. Shame you had to release them."

Aragorn smiled. "Well, now we have a second chance, don't we? But where is this veil?"

Harry swallowed. This wasn't going to be easy. "It's in the Department of Mysteries," he said, "You know, the one that Sirius fell into." Ginny took his hand.

"I don't know about this Harry," said Hermione anxiously, "If it killed Sirius, what if something happens to you and Aragorn too?"

"Nothing's going to happen to them Hermione," said Ron, "The prophecy said so, didn't it? They're the only ones who can go through without dying."

"Ron's right," said Legolas, nodding slowly, "When do you think you'll go?" He looked at Aragorn.

"Perhaps we'd better go tonight," said Aragorn, "If that's fine with you, Harry?"

"I guess," said Harry. He hated the idea of going at all, but if that was what it took to destroy the Dark Lord, then he'd do it.

Hermione still looked anxious. "We should come with you."

"But you can't go through the veil," said Harry, feeling confused.

"Maybe not. But we can come to the Department of Mysteries at least."

"Right," said Ginny, "I'll come with you as far as I can go."

"Hear, hear!" shouted Gimli.

"What about us?" asked Merry.

"Well, I don't think you should all come," said Harry slowly, "It'll attract too much attention. Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin, why don't you stay here and keep running your shop? The rest of you can come if you want, and then you can go back to Godric's Hollow and let everyone else know what happened."

They all nodded, though the twins didn't look too thrilled about not being asked to come. Then the rest of them set off for the Ministry of Magic.

"What will we do if the dead come back to help?" asked Gimli, once they reached their destination.

Aragorn did not like the answer that he realized he had to give. "We'll have to find Voldemort's armies and battle with them until we find Voldemort himself."

"We have to pick fights?" asked Ron with a gulp.

"We're not asking the dead to come back just to say hello," replied Aragorn.

They all piled into the telephone booth that was the visitor's entrance. Harry was experiencing the horrible feeling of déjà vu. He reached over to grab the telephone.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic," said the familiar female voice, "Please state your name and business."

"Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. Er…" Harry covered the phone and hissed, "Why should I say we're here?"

"We have an appointment with Tonks," said Ginny matter-of-factly, as though that was what they had in mind all along.

"You're good!" said Harry with a grin, and repeated the message into the phone.

"Thank you," said the voice, "Visitors, please take the badges and attach them to the front of your robes."

The badges came out of the metal chute, and everyone put them on. Ginny looked at hers, which read: _Ginny Weasley, Appointment with Nymphadora Tonks_, and laughed. "Oh, that'll drive her _crazy!_" Tonks was well known for despising her first name.

The telephone booth lowered itself, and everyone drew deep breaths. "Here we go," said Harry.

* * *

Back at Godric's Hollow, Luna waltzed into the kitchen, carrying the latest edition of the _Daily Prophet_. "Look!" she cried eagerly, placing it on the table. Arwen, Frodo, Sam, and Neville leaned forward. The headline read: _DEMENTOR MENACE MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARING!_

Frodo read it out loud, "_As the wizarding community well knows, the dementors, who once guarded the prison, Azkaban, have been growing larger and more dangerous in the past two years. The fact that they joined the army of Voldemort only made things worse, and they have attacked numerous families across Europe, causing massive damage. Now, however, dementors are being spotted less and less, and the chilling fog that has hung over England for so long is finally clearing up! Could something actually be killing off the dementors?_

"_We have no idea what's happening, or if this is finally signaling the end of the dementors, but we have high hopes," said Head Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt._

"_We have been trying to find a way to get rid of the dreaded creatures ever since they revolted against the Ministry, but with little success."_

_Whatever the cause is, rumors abound that someone has been able to produce a truly powerful Patronus Charm to drive away the dementors. A Patronus Charm normally acts as a shield, protecting the caster from a dementor's draining powers. They do not, however, have the power to destroy these creatures altogether, and very few wizards can produce one._

_Other rumors suggest that Harry Potter, also known as the Chosen One, could be the source of the dementors' disappearance. It was discovered only a few years ago that Potter could indeed produce a fully-fledged Patronus…_"

"Yeah," said Neville, rolling his eyes, "During his hearing, back when they all thought he was a lunatic! _The Daily Prophet_ doesn't mention _that_, does it?"

"Of course not," said Frodo. He was grinning. "It's working!" he said, "Gandalf's destroying the dementors!"

"I wonder what old Voldemort thinks about that!" said Sam triumphantly.

* * *

Meanwhile, the twins, Merry, and Pippin continued working in the shop, as Harry has asked them too. It was a warm day, so they had the door open. Unfortunately, it was also slightly windy.

"We got a new order," said Merry, lifting up a long piece of paper, "5 boxes of Fever Fudge, 1 bag of Edible Dark Marks, 2 Daydream Charms, a Headless Hat…" Suddenly the order blew out of his hand and into the street outside.

"I'll get it," said Pippin. He ran out, snatched the paper, and suddenly noticed something. "That's weird," he muttered as he reentered the store.

"What's up?" asked Fred.

"That Seer, the one who's been hanging around our shop?"

"What about him?"

"He's gone."

* * *

The Atrium wasn't very busy when Harry and his friends came this time. Only the security, and a few random Ministry officials, were there at all. "What's going on?" wondered Hermione.

"Someone sent in a tip," answered a witch, "Apparently You-Know-Who found some more giants, and they're tearing up Surrey, or something like that. Just about everyone was called away to take care of the damage."

Harry's eyes widened. He had grown up in Surrey, was Voldemort getting more aggressive in his attempts to kill him?

"We'd better hurry," said Aragorn, "Which way do we go?"

"We take the lift first," said Harry. They went to the nearest one, jumped in, and took it down to the Department of Mysteries.

As usual, the corridor that led to the Department was completely empty. As their apprehension mounted, everyone stepped inside. The room spun around, and stopped just as suddenly. Harry blinked several times.

"Ok," he said, "The last time I was here, all I had to do was ask which was the way out, and the right door opened."

"Do you think that'll work again?" asked Ron.

"It will," replied Legolas, "We did the same thing when we were looking for you. Does the room have a specific name?"

Harry thought hard. "Dumbledore said it once. It was…er…" Then he remembered. The name chilled him. "The Chamber of Death."

Instantly, one of the doors swung open.

"Is that it?" asked Ron.

Harry poked his head in. "Yeah." He turned back to look at his friends. "Listen you guys, while we're gone, I want you to go back to Godric's Hollow and get ready. Hermione, do you still have those D.A. coins?"

"Yes," she said, "Do you want me to summon them?"

"See if you can, and if you can get them to meet you in Diagon Alley. If you guys can alert the Order too, that'd be great. We need all the help we can get!"

"We'll be on it!" said Ron.

They went all the way up to dais where the veil stood, swishing ever so faintly. Harry and Aragorn climbed up, and looked back at their friends before they left. Words could not express how grateful they were to them. Harry quickly gave Ginny a kiss goodbye before he left.

"We'll return as soon as we can," said Aragorn softly, "Hopefully with some help." With a little wave, he slipped through the veil as well.

Their friends watched as the veil continued to swish, even more now that two people had stepped through it. It seemed to hold them in a trance. Finally Legolas broke the spell. "We need to leave now," he said.

Ron was still transfixed, until someone laid a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks Hermione," he said.

"What are you talking about Ron? I'm over…" Hermione turned around, and screamed. Ron whipped his head around, and was hit with a powerful wave of shock and fear.

It wasn't Hermione's hand, or Ginny's, Legolas', nor Gimli's. It was Voldemort's.

A/N: _What happened to Harry and Aragorn? Has Gandalf killed all the dementors? And…oh yeah, what's going to happen to Ron, Hermione, Legolas, Gimli, and Ginny! MUHAHAHAHA! _And kudos to the anoymous reviewer who guessed I was going to throw in a dead army! (I'm sorry, it was such a long time ago, I forget who did! But I remember someone did, because I was shocked!)


	24. Amongst the Dead

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, the Lord of the Rings, or any of the other worlds mentioned here. You'll see what I mean soon.

Chapter 23: Amongst the Dead

Hermione shrieked in horror as Ron wrenched himself free of Voldemort's grip. The evil wizard looked at the five of them with a calm, cruel sort of satisfaction. Behind him, they could see that Death Eaters were streaming in. They were trapped.

Voldemort laughed softly as he stared down at his prey. "Well, well, well," he said, "Harry Potter's best friends. I'm so pleased to meet you at last."

"Sorry we can't say the same to you!" spat Ginny.

The Death Eaters snarled at this remark and raised their wands. "You should show more respect for the Dark Lord," one hissed.

"All in good time, Dolohov," said Voldemort menacingly, "They'll be punished soon enough!"

The five friends took an immediate step backwards towards the veil.

"I don't think you want to do that," said Voldemort, "Unless you wish to meet the same fate as your friends."

"They're not dead," said Hermione.

The Death Eaters started laughing. "What makes you think that?" asked someone closer to the back, "Did a _Seer _tell you?"

Hermione was filled with a sudden dread. _Oh no! _she thought, _It can't be!_ "How did you know that?" she managed to get out.

"Remember me?" asked the voice, and out stepped a hooded figure. He stood up much straighter now, but there was no doubt in their minds that he was the Seer…or the fake Seer.

"This…this is _impossible!_" gasped Gimli.

"Believe it," said Voldemort, "I knew Potter would want to play the hero again. And what better way to lure him-and that foolish Muggle king Aragorn- to their deaths then by making them believe they had a chance of saving everyone through a _fake _prophecy?"

"No," murmured Ginny. Her face had turned white and she shuddered, feeling sick.

"You _fiend!_" snarled Legolas, reaching for his bow, but when he shot an arrow, the fake Seer moved forward, and it vanished in thin air. The stranger chuckled.

"Always the same, weren't you Legolas?" he said, "Shooting arrows like that, just like back during the war in Middle Earth…although I suppose I should thank you for helping me get rid of that treacherous nuisance, Wormtounge. You did exactly what I felt like doing at the moment."

Legolas froze and his face paled. "How could you possibly know that?" he asked, dreading the answer all the while.

"Haven't you guessed yet?" asked the man. Slowly, he removed his hood to reveal a horribly familiar face.

"No…" gasped Ron, "No…it can't be…you're dead!"

"No," said the man, "Not dead, but barely alive. And I have returned now, thanks to your Dark Lord!" It was Saruman.

"How did this happen?" asked Gimli, hardly daring to believe it was true.

"I revived him through a series of Dark spells," said Voldemort, "He was in a state quite similar to my own before I got my body back."

"I came through the portal as a shadow, and tried to hunt you all down, when I heard all about Voldemort and the way he had come back. My spirit was intrigued, and my will was set out to find this fellow wizard at all costs. Eventually I did, and it was not hard to convince him to restore me to my original state. Since then we have become powerful allies together," said Saruman.

Ron shuddered. Voldemort and Saruman, working together? It was nightmare material!

"And now, enough talk," said Voldemort, "Let's get to business."

The five friends found themselves huddling together, trying to defend themselves in the best possible position.

"You needn't look that way," said Voldemort with an evil smile, "We aren't going to kill you…yet!"

However, it was at the most stressing points in her life where Ginny shined. Her brain instantly went into survival mode as she thought of all possible ways to escape. One method stood out: Apparition. And once the others saw her vanish, they could follow her lead.

At least, that was the theory. It didn't quite turn out that way, however. First, Ginny disappeared. Voldemort blinked, and then howled with rage. "Bring her back immediately!" he snarled.

"But where did she go?" asked Crabbe and Goyle simultaneously.

"Most likely Godric's Hollow," replied Voldemort, "If not, try Diagon Alley! Go! Now!"

Several Death Eaters Apparated on the spot. As for Ron, Hermione, Legolas, and Gimli, they had not vanished simply because the latter two couldn't. Ron and Hermione refused to leave without them, so they were trapped, at the mercy of Voldemort and Saruman.

* * *

Harry blinked several times. All he and Aragorn could see was fog. They were surrounded by it, pressing in on all sides.

"Move forward," suggested Aragorn, and so they did. After a while Harry realized they were no longer walking on a cold stone floor. They were walking on something soft and springy. It took Harry a moment to discover that it was…grass.

Then the fog cleared, and Harry could see that this was no ordinary grass they were walking on. It was the greenest, healthiest looking grass he had ever seen. The sky was clear and a deep, gorgeous blue, while the sun shone brilliantly over their heads.

"Where are we?" asked Aragorn.

"I'm not sure," said Harry. He looked around and saw that they were in a field where beautiful flowers grew everywhere. A soft breeze blew in his face. It was almost like Rivendell or the Shire, because while in either place you couldn't help but feel…safe.

Then he noticed a large shady tree nearby. Someone was lying under it, but he couldn't see who. "We should talk to him," said Harry, "He might know what's going on."

The man, as it happened, had already spotted them and was now walking towards them. "Newcomers, eh?" he called out, "I saw you just appear like that! Don't worry, you'll get used to this place soon enough!" Then, when he got near enough to see who they were, gasped and cried out, "_Harry?!_"

Harry froze. Happiness that he couldn't remember feeling in a long time was coursing through him, mixed with shock. "_SIRIUS!_" he yelled.

Yes, it was indeed Sirius! He threw back his head and laughed. The next thing Aragorn knew, Harry was racing toward his godfather as fast as his legs could carry him. Then the two of them were laughing and crying and hugging each other all at the same time! It was a bittersweet moment.

"So you've come at last!" cried Sirius joyfully, when they finally stopped hugging. Looking more closely at his face, Harry saw all traces of Azkaban were gone from his face. "What happened? Who's your friend?"

"This is Aragorn," explained Harry, as the two men shook hands, "Did you know we were coming Sirius?"

"Not this soon, but we knew you'd show up sooner or later," replied Sirius, "It's hard to understand, but we are always in touch with what goes on in the world of the living."

"So this is…?" asked Aragorn.

"The world of the dead. _All _the dead," explained Sirius, "Or at least, all the good souls. The evil ones are gone forever."

"What do you mean, _all_…"

"I'll show you," said Sirius, "Follow me." He started off and headed for a magnificent golden city. "There are many of these," he said, "But they're not dirty cities like London. They're beautiful!"

As they got closer Harry saw a young man run out and race towards them. "Harry!" he called, "You came at last!"

"_Cedric?_" cried Harry.

It was Cedric Diggory, who came up and slapped Harry on the back. "It's about time! What've you been up to lately?"

"What about you?" asked a stunned Harry.

"Don't give me that! You're the one who's been having all the fun! Dumbledore told me you got to be Quidditch captain and how you have to fight that Voldemort, and…"

"I wouldn't exactly call that fun," muttered Harry.

"And who's this?"

"I'm Aragorn, son of Arathorn," said Aragorn.

"Oh, _you're _Aragorn! I've heard a lot about you, it's an honor to meet you!" said Cedric.

"You know about Middle Earth?" asked Harry. Then he stopped. "Wait, did you say Dumbledore was here?"

"Of course!" laughed Sirius, "What did you think I meant when I said _all the dead_?"

"Who else is here?" asked Harry eagerly.

"You'll see!" said Cedric with a sly grin.

The next person they met was a real shocker. They had just come through the enormous gates of the golden city when someone shouted out, "Harry! Aragorn!"

Aragorn turned and stared, looking beyond surprised. "_Boromir?_" he called.

Boromir too came running up to join the group. "Congratulations," he said, "I saw how you defeated Sauron!"

"What are you doing here?" asked Harry, "You're not from our world!"

"_Everyone _from _all _the worlds comes here," said another voice, "And it's good to see you again, Harry and Aragorn."

Harry and Aragorn turned around. "Haldir!" they cried out joyfully. It was unbelievable, for there was Haldir, the elf who had died at Helm's Deep. It was a big reunion!

And now there were more people coming. They were walking everywhere at ease through the streets, and when they saw Harry and Aragorn, they crowded around excitedly, realizing that they were the only two people in this entire world who were still among the living.

"Come on," said Cedric to Harry, "There are some people I want you to meet."

"How come you're all here?" asked Harry, "This place must have millions of dead people in it, and yet everyone we've ever known is right here!"

"That's because we all knew you were coming, and this was the most likely place you'd show up," explained Cedric.

As they walked, Harry saw a centaur go by, who lowered his head respectfully and kept going. "That's funny," said Harry, "He doesn't look quite like the centaurs at home."

"Of course not, he's a Narnian," said Cedric.

"A what?"

"A Narnian. He's not from our world, he's from Narnia."

"Wait…there are more worlds, besides ours and Middle Earth?"

"Of course," said Cedric, "Didn't Hermione explain it to you? There are many, many worlds besides ours: Middle Earth, Narnia, Alagaesia, and even this one that's a galaxy that they call the Republic, that's guarded by some people called Jedi. Interesting guys, although they can be a real piece of work at times…anyway, I've just named a few of the more well-known ones. There are hundreds!"

"This place must be huge!" gaped Harry.

"It is," agreed Cedric, "Bigger than you can imagine! But we've got all of eternity to explore it."

They went down a few streets, and then Cedric stopped at one of the golden buildings. "Wait out here," he said as he went inside, "I'm going to get them."

"Who?" asked Harry.

"You'll see," was all Cedric would say.

So Harry waited. He found that in this place, he had more patience then he had ever had before. It was as if he fully understood that whatever was coming would come in its own time and he had no business worrying about it.

Then Cedric came out, leading two people with him. When he saw them, Harry felt tears sliding down his face uncontrolled.

"Mum?" he called out tentatively, almost as if he was afraid she would suddenly vanish before he knew what was happening, "Dad?"

Lily was crying too. "Harry?" she said, just as tentatively, "Is that you?"

The next second, both of his parents had pulled him into a tight hug. It was one of the strangest and most wonderful sensations Harry had ever experienced. He had gotten hugs before from people such as Aragorn who had been parent figures in his life. But he could never remember being hugged by his actual parents. The fact that they were technically dead and he was technically alive made it all the stranger. But there was no tension between the three of them. Awkwardness, or shyness, or anxiety of any kind simply didn't exist in this world.

* * *

Near Godric's Hollow, Ginny appeared and began running down the path that would lead to the house. She needed to let Neville, Arwen, Frodo, and Sam know what was going on, and inform them of Harry's fate. After a minute she stopped, wondering what was keeping the others.

To her horror, no dwarf, elf, brother, or friend showed up. Only several black hooded figures appeared. She didn't need to be up close to know who they were. Without hesitating, Ginny whipped out her wand and began shooting hexes and curses in every direction.

The Bat-Bogey Hex hit Crabbe, and he fell to the ground. The others fled behind trees and prepared themselves for attack. Ginny seized the opportunity to back away slowly, all the while keeping her wand out.

Suddenly, at what must have been a silent signal, they all leapt out and began firing deadly curses at her! Ginny dove for the ground just in the nick of time, and they all missed. Then she rolled and dodged her way over to another tree. But she couldn't stay there forever, and the Death Eaters knew it. She could hear them laughing as their footsteps grew closer.

Ginny was just about to start her final assault when she heard loud voices approaching. "I mean it!" said a familiar voice, "I don't care _what _Hermione says, you two have to be our permanent assistants!"

"George is right," said another voice, "Do you understand the increase in profit that's been going on since you arrived? You two attract customers!"

"But," said a third voice, who was, of course, Pippin, "I can't help but think that they only like us because they think we're…we're…"

"'_Adorable_' was the word the one girl used," said Merry, and Ginny, with a smirk, could imagine him wincing.

"Who cares?" said George, "It's all simple math to us: They like you + They are customers We make money!"

"But I don't want to be adorable!" wailed Pippin.

"Well, you'll just have to live wi…" Fred stopped. Ginny risked a peek around the tree. The Death Eaters were staring down her brothers and the hobbits, and they were staring back. Pippin caught her gaze.

"Hey!" he cried, "It's Ginny!"

The Death Eaters turned around to attack Ginny, and Fred and George took this opportunity to attack the ones bothering their little sister. Merry, Pippin, and Ginny leapt into the fray, and before too long the Death Eaters had all been incapacitated.

"Now," said Fred, "What happened here Ginny?"

Ginny realized suddenly that her friends had not returned, and remembered what Voldemort had said about Harry and Aragorn. She took a deep breath and related the horrible events that had taken place. When she finished, the Foursome's expressions were grim.

"Aragorn and Harry…dead?" repeated Merry, "He must have been lying!"

"I don't think he was," whispered Ginny. It had suddenly sunk in that her boyfriend might not really be coming back, and she couldn't bear it.

"I hate to say this, but we can't think about them right now," said George, "Ron, Hermione, Legolas, and Gimli need our help!"

"I didn't mean to leave them!" cried Ginny, "I don't know why they didn't come! I have to go back!"

"NO!" they all shouted, and grabbed a hold of her.

"Ginny, Apparating was probably the smartest thing you could've done!" said Pippin, "Otherwise, no one would've know what was going on!"

"For once, you should actually listen to him!" said Fred, "Let's go back to Godric's Hollow, and work things out from there."

* * *

Unbeknownst to them, Harry was perfectly fine. In fact, he had never felt happier in his life. He was sitting in his parents' house, talking about what any normal family would talk about: school, his friends, while his parents told him more about his other relatives, and memories they had with him before they were killed. Harry also introduced them to Aragorn, who they liked right away. They especially appreciated how he had looked after their son all this time.

"Well," said James finally, "I suppose you're here to ask us for help. Am I right?"

"Yeah. Well, you guys don't have to," said Harry sheepishly.

"Are you kidding? I've been waiting to get back at Voldemort for seventeen years!"

"James!" scolded Lily.

"Are you telling me you don't want the same thing Lily? After all he's put Harry through?"

"Of course I do. But this is serious!"

Harry watched them go back and forth for a few minutes. It reminded him of Ron and Hermione, only it seemed more playful now than a serious quarrel.

"Well," said Boromir, who had caught up to them, "I'm ready to help you fight."

"So am I," said Haldir, "What if we rounded up everyone who wants to come back and help you defeat Voldemort? We have a better feel than you of who can offer the best assistance."

"That'd be great," said Harry, "Thanks Haldir!"

"In the meantime," said Lily, "Why don't we show you around?"

Harry and Aragorn agreed, eager to see more.

* * *

The Death Eaters threw Ron, Hermione, Legolas, and Gimli into a cell in Azkaban. The four of them willed themselves not to show any sign of fear, but it was difficult. Ron and Gimli were shaken; Hermione was close to tears as she tried not to think of the fate of Harry and Aragorn. Legolas alone appeared calm. After the Death Eaters left, he was the first to speak. "I wonder if Ginny got away?"

"It looks like it," said Hermione, glad for a distraction. A thought struck her. "I still have that brooch Galadriel gave me!" she said excitedly, "I can let the others know where we are!"

"Brilliant!" whispered Ron.

Hermione pressed her hand over her elven brooch, and thought as hard as she could about how they needed help, and where they were: Azkaban. "I think that did it," she said a few seconds later.

"Good," said Legolas, "And hopefully, Harry and Aragorn will come back soon and learn what's happened."

The other three shot him looks mixed with shock and anguish. "Legolas?" asked Gimli, "Did you understand what Voldemort told us?"

"Of course," said Legolas.

"And you know what happens when people…go through…the veil?" asked Ron, wincing.

"Yes, when they weren't meant to."

Ron groaned. "Are you in your right mind? There was no prophecy! Saruman and You-Know-Who made it up!"

"True," said Legolas, "_They_ made up _their _version…but they seem to forget that Seers aren't the only ones who can see the future."

"Come again?" asked Ron.

Legolas smiled. "I wasn't surprised with what I heard in Diagon Alley, nor did I try to stop Harry and Aragorn from going through the veil."

"But why?" asked Gimli.

Hermione gasped suddenly. "You heard it before!"

Legolas nodded, still smiling. "The centaurs told me when I last visited them. They saw it in the stars a long time ago, and they only just figured out that it meant Harry and Aragorn. I was going to tell everyone, when I found out we were going to Diagon Alley."

"And when you heard the fake prophecy, you decided not to bother bringing up what we already knew!" finished Hermione.

"Exactly," said Legolas.

Ron's mouth hung open. Finally he said, "So You-Know-Who and Saruman made up something that turned out to be real?"

"Strange, isn't it?"

"Definitely." After thinking about this further, Ron's face suddenly lit up. "Does that mean they're still alive?"

"Probably," said Legolas, "Unless the centaurs were lying as well."

* * *

Back at Godric's Hollow, Ginny had just gotten the message from Hermione. "Right," she said, "We've got work to do."

"What do you mean? Do you know how to find them?" asked Sam.

"Hermione just called me with her brooch. They're in Azkaban."

"_Azkaban?!_" everyone gasped. Several faces instantly paled.

"Don't worry," said Frodo quickly, "The dementors shouldn't be there, Gandalf's destroyed most of them."

"Yeah," said Neville, "But it's built to be impenetrable! And You-Know-Who and Saruman will be there! What do we do?"

"We summon the D.A., and the Order," said Ginny, "They'll help us attack Azkaban. That's what Harry asked us to do."

Fred and George jumped up. "We'll get our coins!"

"Me too!" announced Neville. The hobbits followed them out of the kitchen. That left Ginny, Arwen, and Luna alone.

Arwen hadn't said anything all that time. She had simply sat there, staring at the table, trying to understand the news Ginny had given her. A few tears slid down her face as it began to sink in: Aragorn was most likely dead. Luna was also in shock. She had come home right before Ginny arrived. Now she felt like she was ready to be sick. Finally, rather calmly, she asked, "Do you think he's alright?"

Ginny didn't need to ask who she was talking about. "Voldemort promised not to kill us at first. I think Hermione would have told me if anything else had happened." She didn't mention the other reason why she thought nothing had happened to them yet: for Voldemort, simple killings were too easy. He would have some much worse things in mind for his victims.

A/N: _Will the gang save Ron, Hermione, Legolas, and Gimli? Will Harry and Aragorn be able to return in time? How is Gandalf doing? All these answers and more in Chapter 24: The Final Battle!_

On a more serious note, I have a question to pose to everyone. Since I had Cedric mention some of the other worlds, I thought it would be fun if characters from other well-known fantasy worlds made cameo appearances. But only small cameos, since not everyone has seen everything. I mean, I still haven't gotten around to watching any of Star Trek! But anyway, I figured it would be best to get everyone's opinions, since this _is_ supposed to be only Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings. If yes, awesome! If not, that's fine too.


	25. The Final Battle

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: Sorry I took so long everyone. I didn't slack off, for once. But this chapter has become longer and more complicated than I had originally planned. I hope you enjoy it!

Anyway, it's pretty much unanimous! We have cameo appearances in this chapter! Awesome! They are only from the worlds mentioned in the previous chapter, except one, who I added in for pure fun. Technically he's not from a fantasy world, but it's a popular franchise that deals with supernatural elements, and he's a popular character! So here we go!

Chapter 24: The Final Battle

All over Great Britain, over two dozen fake Galleons turned hot in their owners' pockets. While no one in the D.A. regularly checked their coins anymore, a few still carried them around out of habit. It was those people who immediately got the message, and made preparations to get to Diagon Alley as quickly as possible.

* * *

Meanwhile, preparations for battle were also taking place in the world of the dead. As Harry and Aragorn met other souls on their tour of the city, they helped get the word out that help was needed. They found that many souls were more than willing to take up the fight. Some, however, were a bit more reluctant.

"_Me?_" grumbled one man, "Oh of course. It's always _me _everyone comes to for problems! I thought I'd escaped it when I died and came here! It was always, 'Phineas, will you meet with the school board?' 'Phineas, I found this student rummaging through my office. You're the headmaster, I thought you should punish him!' Not that I don't mind correcting young people when they deserve it, but it was _his _office…"

"Hang on," said Harry, "Phineas Nigellus?"

"Yes," said Phineas, "Do I know you?"

"I know your portrait."

"Oh really? And how did you come to know my portrait? Are you in Slytherin?"

"Gryffindor."

"I should have known. Only a _bold_, _heroic_ Gryffindor would do something stupid such as try to enter the world of the dead…"

"Let's go," said Harry, leaving Phineas to complain to himself.

On the other hand, they met up with another old friend from Middle Earth: King Théoden. He congratulated Aragorn for having successfully led his people into battle at the Black Gate, and for their role in vanquishing Sauron. He was more than happy to help them now in any way he could.

Meanwhile, Aragorn experienced his own emotional reunion. He had just managed to find his own parents, Arathorn and Gilraen. They were overjoyed to see him again, especially Gilraen. The last time she had seen her son, he had been planning to lead a life of exile as a ranger. Now he was the king of Gondor. She was beyond proud of him!

Haldir and Boromir were also doing their part, as promised. Boromir called for a meeting, asking as many souls to show up as possible. Everyone in the city could. They gathered together and listened as he explained the situation. "My friends!" he called out finally, "This is why I am asking you for this favor: that you come with us, return to the world of the living, and help purge it of the evil that brought many of you here in the first place!" There was a rousing cheer.

Haldir met up with Harry and Aragorn. He was followed by some of his fellow elves, and a group of people who Harry didn't recognize. "These are some former members of the Jedi Council," explained Haldir, "They're from a world known as the Galactic Republic."

"An honor it is, to meet you both," said a small, green little creature, "Yoda, my name is." He bowed. Haldir gestured for the other two to bow back.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Master Yoda," said Aragorn.

"And this is Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Anakin Skywalker," continued Haldir.

"Will you help us?" asked Harry.

"Of course," said Anakin, "It would be an honor to assist you both!"

* * *

In Diagon Alley, members of Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix waited for Ginny to speak. Her brothers conjured a giant purple megaphone for her, similar to the one McGonagall had once used. "Attention everyone!" she called out. The alley grew silent. All eyes turned towards her expectantly.

"Er, right," she continued, "First, I want to thank you all for coming. You may not know why you're here, yet, but I know you understand that we wouldn't have called for you unless it was a dire emergency. And make no mistake, we have a dire emergency on our hands." Ginny paused for a moment. What she had to say next broke her heart. "Harry Potter is dead."

There was a complete uproar at this announcement.

"WHAT?"

"How?"

"Did You-Know-Who get him?"

"Was he really the Chosen One? Does this mean we're doomed?"

"EVERYBODY!" Ginny shouted into the megaphone, "PLEASE BE QUIET!"

Everyone shut up. Out of the corner of her eye, Ginny saw that McGonagall, Lupin, and Hagrid looked aghast at the news. Blinking back tears, she said, "I know how horrible this is, but we can't think about Harry right now. Some of our friends have been captured by Voldemort, and he's holding them in Azkaban. We need to go on a rescue mission _right now!_"

She was met with dead silence, except for a few people who were crying at the news of Harry's alleged death. Finally, Dean Thomas called out, "You want us to try and take on You-Know-Who?"

"That's exactly what I'm asking, Dean," she said, throwing him a look, "Why else do you think Harry started the D.A.?" Some people nodded in agreement, others looked a bit more reluctant.

"So? Will you help us?" asked Ginny. There was a roar of approval.

"Wait!" called Moody, "Who exactly are we rescuing?"

"Ron and Hermione, as well as some new friends of ours." There were more gasps throughout the crowd. "I know," she said, "Don't worry, I'm sure we can do it."

Professor McGonagall pushed her way forward, bringing Hagrid along. "You're going to need boats, Miss Weasley," she said, "Azkaban is situated on a small island. Would the Hogwarts boats for the first years suffice?"

"That's perfect," replied Ginny, "Thanks Professor!"

"Is it true?" whispered Hagrid. His face was pale, and he was shaking all over. "Is Harry really dead?"

Ginny gulped. "I'm afraid so," she said, "Along with our friend, Aragorn."

Hagrid began howling tears of grief. McGonagall laid a comforting arm on him and gently led him away.

Neville appeared next. "Luna and I are going to get the D.A. organized," he told her, "Arwen's talking to the Order, and the twins and the hobbits are getting weapons ready."

"Thanks," said Ginny, "The sooner we get this done, the better off our friends will be. I don't even want to think of what Voldemort's got planned."

Neville winced at the sound of the name, but still managed to smile at Ginny. "Don't worry," he said, "You're doing fine."

* * *

"Who else has agreed to help?" asked Aragorn. He, Harry, Haldir, the Potters, and the Jedi were hurrying along to the center of town. Apparently Haldir had some others in mind.

"Well, there's a Dragon Rider visiting, named Brom. He'll be more than willing."

"A _dragon_ rider?" asked Harry.

"They're from Alagaesia," said Lily, "It's a term for humans and elves that are able to ride a dragon. But the dragons are different from the ones you know, Harry. They're intelligent enough to select who they want riding them."

"So we can have dragons on our side?"

"No," said James, "Brom's only visiting. Most of the Riders live in a completely different city."

"We can talk with him later," added Haldir, "Right now, we're looking for someone else."

In the very heart of the city, there was a huge golden manor, filled with beautiful gardens and ponds. There was also a strange, mysterious air to it, which raised the hairs on the back of Harry's neck. Yet, at the same time, it felt wonderfully calm. He wondered who lived here.

Haldir only knocked once. When Harry saw who opened the door, he was filled with emotion and excitement! It was Albus Dumbledore!

"Harry!" he called out joyfully, "Aragorn! You've come at last! I hope this means you've found all the Horcruxes?"

"Yes sir," said Harry, grinning widely.

"Excellent work! I am only sorry that I was unable to assist you."

Harry felt awkward. "Sir, you did your best, you just didn't know about Snape."

Dumbledore waved it aside. "I saw what happened to Severus. But it's all over now." Still, Harry detected a hint of sorrow in his headmaster's eyes. A moment later, Dumbledore was back to his old self. "Come in!"

"Is this your new home?" asked Aragorn curiously.

"Yes it is. Please come in and make yourselves comfortable. I'm just waiting for a friend of mine. He'll be returning any moment now."

Dumbledore's home was just as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside. The golden walls were adorned with huge murals of epic scenery, as well as some stained glass patterns which made the rooms more colorful. The place felt warm and comfortable, just like Harry felt a home should be. There was even the faint smell of delicious food wafting through the air.

"Who's coming to meet you?" asked Aragorn.

"A very good friend, who also happens to be the ruler of this world. I think you will enjoy meeting him, though you may be a bit surprised at first."

"Why's that?" asked Harry.

"All in good time," replied Dumbledore. His eyes had the usual twinkle in them. Harry had the feeling he enjoyed keeping them guessing. He wasn't the only one.

"I know who it is!" said James in a teasing voice.

"James, won't you ever grow up?" asked Lily, rolling her eyes.

"No." She gave him a playful punch.

"Now, you're here to ask for help?" asked Dumbledore, in order to intervene.

"Yes," explained Aragorn, "We heard a prophecy saying we would be able to do this, and now we're building up an army. Will you help us?"

Dumbledore laughed at that. "How could I possibly not?"

* * *

On a lonely beach, Ginny, Neville, Luna, Frodo, and Sam were escorting people into the boats. Everyone was scared; some people were visibly shaking with fear. But all were determined to help rescue Ron, Hermione, Legolas, and Gimli. The final battle was about to begin.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the gates of the golden city, a huge army was starting to form. "Wow!" gasped Harry, as he, Aragorn, and the others caught up with Boromir. "You outdid yourself!"

"Thank you," said Boromir, "It is rather impressive, if I do say so myself."

"Can we summon people from other cities?" asked Aragorn.

"Only if we have enough time," replied Boromir.

"I don't think we do," said Harry, "But I think the people we find here will be fine."

Théoden nodded in agreement, as he scanned the crowd. Suddenly his eyes widened in horror. "Boromir," he said softly, "What's _he_ doing here?"

"Who?" asked Boromir, puzzled by Théoden's alarm.

"Right there."

Boromir followed his gaze, and his face paled. "I don't know," he said, "But trust me, I did not invite him!"

"Who?" asked Harry anxiously, "What's going on? I thought you said there wasn't anyone evil here!"

"Well," said Théoden, "We find him to be the exception."

"I wouldn't call him _evil_," Haldir spoke up, "But…"

"_Who?!_" demanded Aragorn and Harry.

"_There!_" said Théoden, pointing, apparently too disgusted to speak any further.

Cedric looked over, and started laughing. "Who, Jack?"

"_Yes!_" groaned Théoden.

"I think we're missing something here," said Harry in frustration.

"See that guy over there?" asked Cedric. Harry followed his gaze, and saw a man with long dark hair, tanned skin, and dressed somewhat like a pirate. "That's Captain Jack Sparrow. He's from our world apparently, only he's from a different time period. He's a pirate, and his hobbies include stealing things, manipulating people, and driving Boromir and Théoden crazy."

"Sounds like a nice guy!" said Harry with a smirk.

"We are not bringing him!" said Théoden.

"But we need all the help we can get," protested Aragorn.

"Trust me, Aragorn, he will be more of a hindrance than help," said Boromir.

"I'll talk to him," said Cedric, rolling his eyes and laughing. He returned about a minute later. "It's fine," he said, "He just wanted to know what was going on. I told him how much you wanted him to join us…"

"_Cedric!_" shouted Boromir.

"…and he immediately said he had better things to do," finished Cedric with a wink.

Boromir and Théoden breathed sighs of relief.

* * *

Far away in Azkaban, Legolas glanced out the small window of his cell. His keen elvish sight picked up some shapes from far away. When he concentrated on what he was seeing, he grew excited! "What's up?" asked Ron.

"There's a fleet of boats coming!" replied Legolas, "Ginny, Luna, Arwen and Neville are in the lead one, and Fred, George, Merry, Pippin, Frodo, and Sam are coming too! Your brooch worked, Hermione!" Hermione beamed.

"Are you sure it's them?" asked Gimli, hardly daring to hope.

"I'm positive," replied Legolas, "And it looks like they have the Order of the Phoenix with them as well!"

Ron whooped. "We're getting out!" he shouted gleefully.

"Oh, are you?" asked a cruel voice. It was Saruman. He had come to gloat, only to hear this disturbing news from his enemies. With growing anger, he tossed the cell door aside with a wave of his hand, used his staff to fling the four of them against the wall, and strode over to the window. Sure enough, there was the fleet of boats, just as Legolas had described. Saruman turned to face them, his expression controlled, but undeniably livid. "I wouldn't feel so hopeful, if I were you," he said softly, "You've forgotten that Voldemort and I have an army too!" With that, he flew down the nearest set of stairs to report the news.

* * *

"Is that Azkaban?" asked Frodo from his boat.

"I'm afraid so," replied McGonagall. Her face was grim.

Sam gaped. "It's an awfully big prison," he said, "How're we going to find Ron, Hermione, Legolas, or Gimli?"

Frodo started to answer, then stopped. It had suddenly occurred to him that they had no plan after they arrived at Azkaban. Ginny had just instructed them to attack. "We'll figure that out when we get there, Sam," he said finally.

It wasn't long before that time came. Everyone docked their boats, turned around, and saw Death Eaters spilling out the prison from every possible exit. They looked quite formidable and ready for a good battle. The D.A. froze. Unsure of what to do next, they looked at Ginny.

However, it was not Ginny who charged first. It was Luna. Without any warning or instruction, she simply raced forward, her wand raised, her silver hair flying out behind her. Neville and Ginny quickly followed, and then Frodo and Sam, and then Merry and Pippin, and the twins, and Arwen, and the Order, and finally, the D.A. They all surged forward, firing spell after spell. Their ferocity startled the Death Eaters so much, that at first they did nothing. But then Voldemort and Saruman appeared, and they snapped back into action.

Locked away in their cell, Ron, Hermione, Legolas, and Gimli did everything they could to try and escape. It was either that, or continue watching their friends in horror, hoping against hope that everything would turn out all right.

* * *

Not surprisingly, the first person to start using _Avada Kedavra_ was Voldemort. His spell hit Cho Chang as she ran towards him. Her eyes still burned with anger as she fell to the ground.

Meanwhile, Merry and Pippin had snuck away, and were trying to find the quickest way into the prison without being detected. They had taken it upon themselves to rescue their friends while everyone else was distracted with the battle. They made it through, and raced through the building, searching every cell for a clue.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the world of the dead, almost everyone was ready to leave. Suddenly, Gilraen saw someone coming towards the gate. "Albus!" she called, "Someone's just arrived!"

Dumbledore came hurrying forward. His eyes saddened when he saw who it was. "Miss Chang?" he called out, "What happened to you?"

Harry and Cedric glanced at each other, and then dashed for the entrance. "Cho?" called Cedric.

"_Cedric!_" she shouted joyfully, rushing into his arms. For a long time, both of them were speechless. They simply stood there, hugging each other tightly, which eventually turned into a kiss. Feeling more than awkward, Harry turned away. Dumbledore smiled and winked at him.

"I don't believe it," whispered Cho finally, "What are you doing here, Cedric? Where are we? Am I dead?"

"Yes," said Cedric softly, "But how…?"

"It must've been You-Know-Who," she said slowly, "He was pointing his wand at me, there was a flash of green light, and the next thing I knew, I was here."

Cedric nodded. "That's pretty much what happened to me."

"Wait," interrupted Aragorn, his expression serious, "Where did you see Voldemort?"

"Oh, that's right! I completely forgot! I was with the D.A. and the Order of the Phoenix; we were attacking Azkaban!"

"Why were you attacking Azkaban?" asked Harry.

Cho turned to him sadly, "Voldemort captured your friends, Harry!"

"WHAT?" cried Harry.

"Ginny escaped somehow, and she found us," explained Cho, "We attacked Azkaban to see if we could rescue them."

"When did this happen?" demanded Aragorn.

"Right after you were killed, I expect," she replied.

"Wait, we're not dead," said Harry.

"You're not?" asked Cho in confusion, "But Ginny said you were!"

"She did? Why?" asked Harry.

"I don't know, but if you're not dead, though I don't see how that can be, you need to come back right now! I was only fighting for a few minutes, but I could see that we were going to be overwhelmed!"

"You'll still have the chance to fight again," replied Harry, "We came here to summon an army. They're coming up with us for a short time to help defeat Voldemort."

"Really?" gasped Cho, "You too, Cedric?"

"Yes," said Cedric with a grin, "Do you want to help?"

Cho's expression hardened. "Oh yes," she said fiercely, "I'm not finished yet."

* * *

Merry and Pippin raced up another flight of stairs, rounded a corner, and found the row of cells where Ron, Hermione, Legolas, and Gimli were being held. Ron poked his head through the bars. "Excellent!" he cried, "It's Merry and Pippin!"

"Hold on," said Pippin, fishing his pockets for something to pick the lock with. "Merry! I can't find anything!" he cried.

"Er, Pippin?" asked Ron.

"Wait!" said Pippin, "There's got to be something here!"

"But Pippin…"

"I'll check my pockets," said Merry.

"_Boys!_" shouted Hermione. They looked up. "Just get me my wand over there," she said, pointing to where the weapons were being kept. "I can get us all out myself."

"Oh," said Pippin sheepishly, "That might work too…"

* * *

Within a short time, everyone was ready, and the dead army filed out of the city. Harry and Aragorn led them, with their parents, Sirius, Boromir, Haldir, Théoden, Cedric, and Cho. When everyone was out, they walked out a bit further into the field, and then stopped. The crowd parted for Dumbledore and his friend, the one who ruled over this world, and in particular another one called Narnia. What had surprised Harry when he first met him though, was that he wasn't even human. He was a lion named Aslan. However, Aslan appeared to have more power and commanded more respect than any human leader Harry had ever encountered or even heard of.

Aslan walked all the way to the head, where he traced the outline of a door with his enormous paw. "This will take us to Azkaban," he explained, "Are you ready?" They nodded. "Then follow me." He took a great bound forward and disappeared. They hesitated, and then Aragorn went through, then Harry, their parents, Sirius, Boromir, Théoden, Haldir, the elves, Cedric, Cho, the Jedi Knights, Brom the Dragon Rider, Narnians of all sorts, and everyone else who had volunteered to go. Even Jack Sparrow decided to tag along at the last moment, though Boromir and Théoden had no idea, of course.

* * *

The Death Eaters were slowly dwindling the number of their enemies, both in the D.A. and the Order. Suddenly, Ron, Hermione, Legolas, and Gimli came running out, followed by Merry and Pippin. Their skills in battle helped turn the tide in the fight slightly.

Voldemort and Saruman, however, seemed to believe their work was finished. They had retreated from the fighting, not wanting to be killed by a stray spell, and they were watching their army with a cruel satisfaction. They were positive that in little time, the Death Eaters would dispose of their enemies.

Suddenly, Voldemort's face got paler than usual. He started to shake all over. "What is it?" asked Saruman. He couldn't possibly see what could stop them now.

But Voldemort did. With a shaking finger, he pointed toward the sea. On the shore, a huge golden lion had appeared. They locked eyes, and Voldemort realized it was unlike any lion he had ever seen. It was intelligent, and it was not on his side.

"How did _that _get here?" demanded Saruman.

Aslan turned around to see if anyone else had arrived yet. Sure enough, Aragorn and Harry appeared out of thin air. Voldemort saw them, and he fought off the urge to scream! What was going on? Harry Potter was supposed to be dead!

And there were more of them! Quickly, the dead army started to appear, expanding out into the sea. They all let off a soft golden glow, except for Harry and Aragorn, making it even more apparent that this army was no longer alive. But they were definitely ready for battle.

"Cover your ears," instructed Aslan to Aragorn and Harry. They did as they were told, and Aslan let out a powerful, ear-splitting roar that shook the ground, and caused the Death Eaters to fall to the ground in fear. But once the shock wore off, it had the exact opposite effect of the Order and the D.A. Instead, they felt much more empowered, and attacked with renewed energy.

Voldemort and Saruman were trying to keep it together. This was _not _supposed to be happening. But then Voldemort remembered that he still had a few tricks up his sleeve. "_Surgere Humus!_" he shouted, holding his wand out over the battlefield.

As the dead army charged forward, a new dead army came up to meet them. Voldemort has summoned his hidden Inferi from the ground, and they began to claw their way out. It was a terrifying sight. Voldemort laughed in triumph as the Inferi started their ferocious attack.

Saruman was not as impressed. "That won't work for long," he said.

"Perhaps," replied Voldemort, "But they will slow them down long enough for me." With another cackle, he Disapparated. Saruman was shocked. Had Voldemort fled?

Meanwhile, the Inferi were being slowly beaten back. The Death Eaters tried to help, but most of them were instantly consumed by Haldir's troop of elves, who were attacking from the side. One of the most terrifying opponents was Dumbledore. When he saw Saruman, he knew instantly who he was and headed straight for him. Saruman decided that now would be a good time to follow Voldemort's lead, and flee. He raced around the prison and out of sight.

But the one who really finished off the Inferi was Brom. He was riding his dragon, Saphira, again, and they were doing serious damage as she breathed magical blue fire on the Inferi. They began to shrivel up and sink back into the ground for good.

All the while, Harry was looking for Voldemort. But Voldemort was nowhere to be found. He did, however, find Ginny. "HARRY!" she screamed, flinging herself into his arms. "What happened? Voldemort told us you were dead!"

"He's fine, Ginny!" said Ron with a grin, "Legolas explained it to us: it was a real prophecy after all, but You-Know-Who didn't realize it!" Sure enough, Legolas appeared to be explaining this to an overjoyed Arwen as well.

Just as the battle was about to be drawn to its conclusion, Voldemort reappeared. He had an evil smile on his face. Harry didn't hesitate, but began making his way toward his nemesis. But suddenly, the air grew freezing cold. Everyone stopped what they were doing as they were each hit with horrible feelings of misery and the worst memories of their lives. That could only mean one thing.

When Voldemort heard that someone was destroying the dementors, he had gone around himself to round up the rest of them. Then he hid them somewhere remote, not far from Azkaban. He had not fled the battlefield, he had simply gone to summon them. It hit Harry then: dementors fed on people's souls. And a large portion of his army was made up of nothing but souls…

All around him, the dead army was looking up at the sky in horror. Hundreds of dementors were getting closer and closer. They had all come to the same conclusion as Harry: if they were attacked by a dementor, they'd be lost forever. Voldemort was laughing. It was a brilliant move.

As the dementors arrived, the dead souls panicked, and many began fleeing in all directions. A few tried to take on this new foe, but they were instantly sucked up and were gone. Harry and his friends desperately tried to hold them back with the Patronus Charm, but there were too many. "Harry!" cried Hermione, "You've got to stop Voldemort! Make him end this!"

Harry had a bad feeling that even if he stopped Voldemort, the dementors would keep coming. But he had to try anyway. With his wand raised, and his sword Valor by his side, he raced after his nemesis.

Voldemort saw him coming, but did nothing. That should have been a warning to Harry, but he wasn't thinking straight. Before he could cast a spell, he was lifted up and flung against the prison wall. He crumpled to the ground, momentarily stunned.

It was Saruman who had done it. He had managed to temporarily escape from Dumbledore. "Good work," said Voldemort, the closest to a compliment that he ever wanted to say. He casually walked over to his fallen enemy. "_Petrificus Totalus!_" Harry instantly felt his whole body freeze up. He stared back at Voldemort and Saruman, unable to say anything. But it had just occurred to him who was standing there.

"Yes," said Saruman, "I survived, and I've been preparing for this moment ever since I got here!"

Harry had so many questions he was dying to ask, but he did realize now who had been supplying Voldemort with information on Middle Earth and his friends. And speaking of which…

Aragorn had seen what was happening and charged forward to save Harry. It didn't work, unfortunately. Saruman simply lifted his staff, and Aragorn was also slammed against the wall. Voldemort then turned his wand on Aragorn. He glanced at Harry, who was struggling against the charm, and the cruelest smile of all spread across his face. Harry was filled with dread. He knew whatever happened next would be anything but good.

"_Crucio!_"

Harry fully expected to feel the blinding pain, but he didn't. Instead he was horrified to hear Aragorn screaming and twisting on the ground. Harry felt nauseous. He struggled even harder, but to no avail. Voldemort saw all this in his eyes and laughed.

It went on like this for at least another minute, and would have continued for much longer, if not for the distraction that came in the form of a huge silver eagle. Gandalf had arrived, along with his Patronus.

Keeping all the dementors in one place had turned out _not_ to be a good idea after all. Several local Muggles saw a huge fog that seemed to hover in a certain spot, even when it was sunny out. That was all Gandalf had needed to hear. He realized that this was near Azkaban, and figured out the rest. Now his eagle Patronus was wiping out the last of the dementors.

When Voldemort and Saruman saw this, they felt furious, but also drained. This was all they had left! An enraged Saruman told his partner, "Finish them off. I'll handle Gandalf."

Voldemort nodded, and turned back to Aragorn, who lay on the ground, motionless except for his heavy breathing, and Harry, who was still held in his place.

* * *

"Gandalf!" shouted Frodo jubilantly.

Gandalf laughed. "You should have told me you would be here!" he called over, "I could have helped you much sooner!"

"_Look out!_" shouted Pippin.

Gandalf turned around, just in time to see Saruman racing towards him. He hardly seemed surprised to see him alive. "Time to settle a score, old friend," he said ruefully.

* * *

Harry's face was frozen due to the charm, but his eyes blazed with hatred for his nemesis.

"There's no need to look at me that way," Voldemort chuckled, "You probably won't feel a thing. Like I told you once before, I wouldn't know, because I _can't die!_"

Meanwhile, Ron had been fighting his own rival: Draco Malfoy. He had noticed that one of the Death Eaters was smaller than the rest. As it turned out, Voldemort had sent Malfoy into battle in place of his father. Lucius had been killed when Azkaban was taken over. Ron was able to Stun Draco, when he saw Voldemort standing over his best friend. "Harry!" he yelled. Legolas, who was nearby, heard him and looked around. When he saw what was going on, he dashed toward Voldemort.

Voldemort was laughing in triumph. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" he shouted.

Aragorn groaned and tried to reach for his sword. Harry couldn't move; the charm held him in place. This was it.

It all happened very quickly. Harry saw the green light headed toward him. He could hear, but couldn't quite comprehend, Ron shouting, "NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? GET AWAY, YOU IDIOT!"

The next thing Harry knew, a shadow had passed over, blocking him and Aragorn from the curse, Ron was screaming in horror, and there was a soft thud as Legolas' body hit the ground.

_Next chapter: Is Legolas dead? Will Harry kill Voldemort? How will he even get himself out of his present situation? Will there be a happy ending? Tune in next week for Chapter 25!_

A/N: "Surgere Humus" means "Rise from the Ground" in Latin. (Well, actually it means 'rise, ground' but the alternative was 'Surgere _De_ Humus', which definitely didn't flow as nicely!)


	26. Return to the Portal

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: OMG!! It's…the…LAST CHAPTER! Unbelievable! I hope you all enjoyed these two stories! I sure had fun writing them!

Chapter 25: Return to the Portal

For a second, Voldemort looked as stunned as Harry felt, though nowhere near as horrified. Instead, he laughed and stepped over Legolas. "Fool," he said, "He died in vain. He only bought you a few extra seconds to live!"

Those words woke up Ron, who had been standing in a stupefied horror. He raised his wand and pointed it at Harry. "_Liberus Totalus!_" he shouted. Instantly, Harry felt his limbs loosen and rolled to the side. Then he got up just as Ron tried to tackle Voldemort, but ended up knocking them all down. In the scuffle that followed, both Ron and Voldemort got up, wands raised and glaring at each other.

* * *

Gandalf thrust out his staff before Saruman did, sending him flying towards the prison wall himself. But he was up before Gandalf could blink, and wielding his staff with just as much ferocity. The two continued to clash, and everyone around them turned to watch in awe. They were equally matched; every time one managed to knock the other to the ground, that other would jump right back up again with an even more powerful attack. Finally, Gandalf summoned up everything he had left. "_Horta sina saura istar anna i aire!_" he chanted in a low, powerful voice. His staff began to glow, and before Saruman could understand what was happening, he was hit by a powerful, brilliant white light that sent him hurtling into the churning waves of the ocean. He was never seen again.

More exhausted than he had ever felt in his life, Gandalf heaved a sigh and had to sit down.

* * *

"_Avada Kedavra!_" shouted Voldemort.

"_Stupefy!_" yelled Ron.

Light came out of both wands and…_connected?_

_What the…? _thought Harry. He looked more closely at his own wand, and suddenly he understood. "Ron, you're using _my _wand!" he called.

"_Now _you tell me?" gasped Ron, trying hard not to break the connection. Both he and Voldemort were lifted into the air. "Harry, help me!" cried Ron. On the other side, Voldemort was visibly panicking.

"Hold on Ron!" yelled Harry, chasing after them, "And whatever you do, _don't let go!_"

They flew over Azkaban to the other side, where the battle was also going on just as fiercely. Harry watched as his best friend struggled against his worst enemy.

Then he knew. Now was the time. With Voldemort distracted, Harry could easily kill him. But there was a problem: he had nothing to attack with.

"Harry!"

Harry turned around to see Cedric running towards him through the walls of Azkaban carrying Valor; Cedric, the first to die at the start of Voldemort's second rise to power. It all seemed to just fit.

"Here!" he yelled, tossing the sword to Harry, "Now finish him, quickly!"

"Ron, let go!" yelled Harry, dashing towards Voldemort. But as he did so, he found himself hesitating. Could he really do this? Then he saw his parents, who smiled at him and nodded. Next to them was Dumbledore.

"Do it Harry," he said.

That was all Harry needed to charge forward, just as Ron broke the connection, and stab Voldemort as hard as he could.

Voldemort stared at him with wide eyes. This was different from that night on Halloween, seventeen years ago. He could feel it now. He was actually dying. "The Horcuxes…" he gasped.

"Gone," replied Harry coldly, "Now you know…because you _can_ die."

Voldemort never answered. He opened his mouth, shuddered, and collapsed. He was dead.

Harry continued to stand there, the sword still clutched in his hand. He had never expected this moment to come, nor that he would be able to actually do it. Then he felt a warm presence next to him. It was his parents.

"We're proud of you, Harry," said Lily, looking him directly in the eye, "You've become an exceptional wizard."

Harry looked back at Voldemort's body. "Am I a murderer?" he asked himself out loud.

"Well, in a way, yes," replied Lily, "But you've done so much good for the world by ridding them of Voldemort. Don't ever forget that."

"Why couldn't I have done it?" asked James in a mock dejected tone. Harry laughed; it helped get rid of the tension inside and relaxed him. That is, until Arathorn and Gilraen showed up.

"We saw what happened," said Gilraen, "Thank you for all you've done, Harry."

"But where is our son?" asked Arathorn.

Harry thought back, and remembered Aragorn…and Legolas. He looked up and locked eyes with Ron. They nodded. "We have to get back!" Harry told them, and he quickly dashed to the other side, and to the spot where he had left Aragorn and Legolas. What he saw made him feel sick again.

Aragorn was much better, that was good at least. But he was part of the small crowd that had gathered around Legolas. Luna was prominent among them, she seemed to be holding him. Harry was startled to feel tears threatening to come. He shook it off and hurried over.

Luna was talking to Legolas. Harry couldn't understand why, but he realized she must have been in denial. "Don't worry," she was saying, "St. Mungo's is excellent, they'll fix you up in no time."

What happened next shocked Harry so badly, he stopped dead in his tracks. Legolas opened his eyes ever so slightly and said, "That's fine. But if they can't, we can always ask Lord Elrond. He saved Frodo from his wound by the Ringwraiths; I'm sure he can help us."

"You're just lucky to be alive," grumbled Gimli, "Stop doing such reckless things!"

"If I didn't, Harry and Aragorn would definitely have been killed. I had no choice."

"_Legolas!_" shouted Ron. He raced over to the group as fast as his legs could carry him. "You're alive? I don't believe it! How'd you survive?"

Aragorn was grinning widely. "Apparently _Avada Kedavra_ is not as strong on elves as it is on humans. He's wounded, but alive."

"That's incredible!" cried Harry, "How are you feeling?"

"Not as badly as I expected to be," replied Legolas, but when he tried to sit up, he winced in pain and had to lie down again. "I suppose I should get to St. Mungo's after all."

All this time, the dead army had been standing around, waiting to hear what to do next. When Harry announced that Voldemort was dead, there was a rousing cheer. Aslan roared in triumph, Gandalf shot some lights from his staff, with Brom's dragon breathing her blue fire among them. Boromir, Theoden, and Haldir came up to congratulate him, and Captain Jack debated over whether it would now be in poor taste to steal the large, gold Galleons in Harry's pocket. He decided it was, and only took half the amount.

Admist the overall rejoicing, Harry noticed Hermione was apart from the others. She was staring at the bodies lying everywhere. Every now and then her eyes flickered towards her friends, and Harry could see that those eyes were filled with tears. He headed over to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked, "Aren't you glad we're ok?"

"Oh yes, of course I am! It's just…that was a very near miss that Legolas had. And not just him, we all could have been killed!"

"But we're not dead," said Harry, "I know it's sad that so many other people had to die, but we can't dwell on that forever."

"I know we can't. But I wish our friends had never come at all! They didn't have to risk their lives like this; they were safe and happy in Middle Earth, and it's my fault I dragged them into this!"

"How is it _your_ fault?!"

"I'm the one who made the time portal, I'm the reason they came! And I'm the reason we almost got killed so many times over!"

"If you hadn't done it, Aragorn and I would never have gotten a dead army to help us," offered Harry, "I'm sorry, but I don't get why you're so upset! They're all fine, and they needed us in Middle Earth, don't feel sorry about _that!_ It's _Voldemort's_ fault this all happened, it's _Sauron's_ fault, it's even _Saruman's_ fault we almost died!"

"That's just it," said Hermione softly, "I only thought we could get help from good people in other worlds. I never suspected that anything _bad_ could come through either!"

"I'm surprised he even made it through Rivendell!"

"After all we've been through, nothing surprises me anymore Harry," said Hermione quietly. Harry was getting concerned. She looked like a defeated person.

"Did Voldemort do something to you guys that made you this way? You weren't nearly so upset after Frodo destroyed the Ring!"

_True_, thought Hermione. Maybe Harry had a point. But the sudden appearance of Saruman and the near death of Legolas had opened her eyes. She couldn't let this keep happening, and she could only think of one way to end it. After all, just because Voldemort and Saruman were dead, didn't mean there wasn't more evil out there, and she couldn't let it keep traveling through worlds. The results would be disastrous!

"I need to speak to Gandalf," she said.

"What?" asked Harry, taken aback.

"I'll be back. I just need to talk to him in private."

"About what?"

"I'll tell you later."

Scratching his head, Harry returned to his much happier friends. "How's Legolas?" he asked.

"He's been better," said Gimli, "We're taking him to that…er…'hospital' of yours."

"Yeah, and we'd better do it quick," said Ron, trying to hoist his friend up. Aragorn helped him, and the kids got into some of the boats. But before they left, Harry went to say goodbye to everyone who had come to help him.

"Don't say a word," said Sirius, shaking his head, "You did me a favor by giving me another chance to fight the Dark Side!" Nearby, they saw Lupin running over to greet James. "Excuse me for a second Harry," said Sirius, and he hurried over to join them.

Aragorn said farewell to his own parents, and Harry was startled to see a pale woman with long blond hair running over to embrace Luna. He suddenly realized that it must be Mrs. Lovegood. Boromir, Théoden, and Haldir were greeting their friends from Middle Earth, as well as Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Ginny. Then Dumbledore approached them.

"I'm sorry," he said, "But I'm afraid it's time for us to leave."

"Now?" asked Fred in disappointment.

"I'm afraid so," said Dumbledore, "We don't belong in this world anymore."

Harry's heart throbbed. He couldn't believe that for a second. He would have said so too, except that Ron suddenly shouted, "_Oy! Get out of there, you!_"

Jack jumped about a foot in the air, dropping several Sickles and Knuts. "Nothing to worry about," he said innocently, "Just polishing 'em…"

"Sure you were!" said Ron, rolling his eyes as he picked up the coins.

"Honest!" said Jack, and he started to walk away, muttering under his breath, "It wasn't as if there was anything to take anyway…"

"_What?!_" Ron's face grew red with fury. Harry laughed. It was as if Ron couldn't decide which was worse: getting robbed, or not being worth a thief's time.

Then, all the souls gathered at the shore, and Aslan made another door. One by one they all went through. Harry hugged his parents tightly one last time, and then they were gone. He stared longingly at the door. Now that Voldemort was dead, was there anything left that he needed to do? The world of the dead was such a wonderful place, more beautiful than he ever could have imagined, and he wanted to return and stay there forever. Aslan, who was the last to leave, seemed to know what he was thinking. "Not yet, Harry," he said. And once he bounded through, the door disappeared. Harry was left standing there, with a few tears sliding down his face. He would've continued standing there, if Aragorn hadn't laid a hand on his shoulder and gently led him away.

* * *

Once at St. Mungo's, Legolas was taken care of immediately. Everyone who wasn't tending someone injured was clamoring to know what had happened. Ron and the Foursome basked in the limelight while Aragorn and Harry shied away from the attention as usual. Luna dashed up to Legolas' room and would not come out. Frodo was his typical polite self, giving away as many details to people as he thought was necessary. Sam and Neville seemed a bit stunned by all the sudden attention and admiration they were getting. Harry took Ginny aside.

"I heard how you led everyone to Azkaban," he said, "You were excellent!"

"What's this?" said Ginny teasingly, "The great and famous Harry Potter thinks I'm worthwhile?"

"I always did," he said, "I'm sorry I've tried to keep you hidden in the background all the time, I just worried, that's all."

"Now that I look back on it, I can't be too annoyed with you about that," she replied, "It just shows you cared. And I'm glad you do!"

"So no hard feelings?"

"Never. You let me come with you to the Department of Mysteries with you at least. I'm grateful for that."

"That was brilliant the way you Disapparated right under Voldemort's nose!" he laughed, "Ron told me the look on his face was priceless!"

"I wish I could've seen it!" said Ginny ruefully, "Better yet, I wish someone had thought to bring a camera!"

"That would've made him even madder!" Both of them laughed. Already Voldemort seemed less scary now that he was dead and gone.

That night there was a party at Godric's Hollow. Fred and George set off fireworks and Sam, Mrs. Weasley, and Dobby combined their efforts to make a spectacular feast. The only downside was that Legolas and Luna weren't there. He still needed to recover at St. Mungo's, and she refused to leave his side. Gandalf and Hermione weren't there for a time either, though when they were, both seemed happy enough.

The best news was from Professor McGonagall. The school board had decided to reopen Hogwarts that fall! They would still have to find some new teachers, but now that Voldemort was dead, the jinx he had placed on the Defense Against the Dark Arts job had most likely been lifted. Professor McGonagall was now the new headmistress. The rest of the staff had agreed to come back as well.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Magic was eager to be the first to announce the news of Voldemort's demise. _The Daily Prophet_ gave Harry the credit he deserved, though he couldn't help but notice the slant in the Ministry's favor, and how it mentioned that "several Ministry officials were on the scene to help, none of which were in any way hurt". They were, of course, referring to the Aurors in the Order, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Tonks, as well as people like Mr. Weasley. But nobody cared too much. All that mattered was that Voldemort was finally gone.

The next morning, Aragorn, Gimli, and Ron stopped at St. Mungo's to visit Legolas. They came back with some bad news.

"He's stable," said Aragorn, "But the Healers say they have no idea what to do for him."

"So they can't cure him?" asked Harry in alarm.

"They're trying," replied Gimli with a grim expression, "But they certainly can't promise any results. They aren't even sure what's wrong with him."

"So he'll never recover?" asked Frodo in horror, "We can't let that happen!"

"I really don't know what we're going to do," said Aragorn. He looked exhausted.

"Where's Luna?" asked Hermione suddenly.

"She's still there," replied Ron, "I don't think she's even slept."

"That's not healthy for her!" exclaimed Hermione, "Somebody should go back and get her! Has she eaten anything?"

"Of course," said Ron, "They serve food at St. Mungo's, Hermione." He tried not to roll his eyes.

"Can we get back to the real situation?" interrupted Harry, "What can we do for Legolas?"

There was a long silence as everyone thought. Nobody could come up with anything, and for a horrible few hours, it seemed as if Legolas would be wounded for the rest of his life. Then Frodo had an idea. "We need to take him back home, to Lord Elrond. He'll know what to do."

"Elrond has never dealt with anything like this before," warned Gandalf.

"He saved me from the Morgul blade. And we have the healing plant, athelas. Aragorn said that could heal almost any injury, right?"

"Yes, I said _almost _any injury."

"Well, I think we have a better chance of healing him at home than we do here, even if it was a magical injury."

"Mr. Frodo's right," said Sam, "What've we got to lose? If it doesn't work and the Healers discover something else, we can always bring him back here."

In the end, everyone agreed. They returned to St. Mungo's and told the Head Healer that they had decided to take Legolas home with them, since nothing could be done here. The Healer argued with them for quite some time, but finally had no choice but to give in. They carried Legolas outside, and then took a Portkey to the portal.

But nobody left right away. It had suddenly occurred to everyone that their friends from Middle Earth were leaving, possibly for good. Aragorn and Arwen had their kingdom to run, and Sam had his own family to return to. It was time to say goodbye.

Harry felt someone tap his shoulder. It was Frodo. "Can I speak to you?" he asked. Harry nodded. He followed Frodo quietly out of the room, and was surprised to see Gandalf and Hermione there as well.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Gandalf sighed heavily. "I'm afraid this is the last time you will ever see Frodo and I."

"What…what do you mean?"

Hermione had tears in her eyes. "They're leaving for good Harry."

"I don't understand. Why can't you come back? And how come it's just you and Frodo?"

"The elves are leaving Middle Earth," explained Frodo, "All of them, except Arwen, Legolas, and his people in Mirkwood. But the rest of them, including Elrond and Galadriel, are sailing out into the West, to Valinor."

"And once you leave, you can never come back?" asked Harry slowly. He had heard something about the elves leaving before, when he was in Middle Earth.

"You wouldn't want to anyway," said Frodo, "The way you didn't want to leave the world of the dead." Harry was stunned, but Frodo simply stared back at him and nodded. He had understood what Harry was going through back at Azkaban.

"So…it's heaven?"

"It's like heaven," said Gandalf.

"But why are you explaining this to me?"

"Because we're going with them," said Gandalf simply.

Harry stared. "_What?_"

"We're going with the elves," replied Frodo, "I can't stay in Middle Earth anymore, Harry. I've been scarred too deeply. I was preparing to leave when Professor McGonagall summoned us here. But now Gandalf and I must leave."

"Is anyone else going?" asked Harry, feeling a lump in his throat.

"Just my Uncle Bilbo," replied Frodo, "You'll still get the chance to see everyone else again."

Hermione was staring at the ground. "You almost didn't," she said softly. Frodo and Harry looked at her in surprise.

"What are you talking about Hermione?" asked Frodo.

Hermione sighed, and looked up at them. "When I was talking to Gandalf, I had come to a decision. I was going to try and destroy the portal."

Harry's brain locked. This was simply too much information to take at once. "You were going to _what?_"

"Destroy the portal," repeated Hermione, "I was horrified when I found out Saruman was using it. I realized it could be used for both good and evil purposes, and I didn't want more evil coming between our worlds."

"What made you decide not to do it?" asked Frodo.

"You, Frodo," replied Hermione.

"I don't understand."

"When I went to talk to Gandalf about it, he disagreed with me strongly. He repeated a lot of what you told me Harry, and he said that without the portal Middle Earth would've been doomed. Apparently, someone told him what happened that day on Mount Doom."

Frodo blushed slightly. "I thought he had the right to know."

"I'm glad you did," said Hermione, "Because Gandalf was then able to convince me not to destroy the portal."

"I'm lost again," said Harry, "What happened on Mount Doom?"

Frodo sighed. "I didn't destroy the Ring, Harry," he confessed.

Harry blinked. That was all he could manage to do. He had left the room thinking he would be having a farewell discussion with Frodo, and now one by one, everyone was spilling their huge secrets! "You didn't?"

"No," added Hermione, "I did."

"_You?!_"

"Me. Frodo couldn't do it in the end, so it was up to me. I destroyed it."

"Why didn't you say so?"

"I didn't want the credit. And it wasn't as if I was a hero or anything. Frodo did most of the work carrying it."

"However," added Gandalf, "If Miss Granger hadn't been there, the Ring might have found its way back to Sauron. Everyone in Middle Earth owes her their life and freedom."

"That's why I'm not destroying the portal," explained Hermione, "Gandalf convinced me that we may need each other again, and it would be stupid if we cut each other off forever."

There was a long silence. Finally Harry said, "Anything _else_ I need to know?"

"No," replied Gandalf calmly, "I believe that is all."

"So…this is the last time I'll see you both?"

"Yes," said Frodo.

Harry swallowed hard. Gandalf and Frodo were two wonderful friends. The idea of never seeing them again was heart-wrenching. He didn't even bother trying to hold back tears as he gave each of them a final hug goodbye. Hermione did the same, only she was crying harder.

"What's up?" asked Ron anxiously as they came back in.

"I'll tell you later," replied Harry quickly.

Everyone stood at the entrance to the portal. "Well," said Fred finally, "Bye everyone!"

"Goodbye Fred! Goodbye George!" Merry and Pippin pretended to burst into tears as they gave their friends hugs. Fred and George pretended to cry as well. Hermione rolled her eyes. It was exactly like the day they left Middle Earth. Some things never changed.

Luna kissed Legolas goodbye. "I'll come to visit you as soon as I can!" she promised.

"It was nice meeting you all," said Neville, as he said farewell to each of them in turn.

Harry gave Aragorn one final hug. "Thanks for saving my life repeatedly!"

"You always do the same for me!"

Arwen hugged Hermione and Ginny, and then she was the first to leave. Aragorn followed her, as he and Gandalf carried Legolas through. Harry's heart throbbed again as Gandalf disappeared. Gimli was next, then Merry and Pippin. Then Sam went through, and finally Frodo.

* * *

Many years went by. Merry and Pippin continued to visit, always staying at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. When they first came back, it was to say that Gandalf and Frodo had indeed sailed into the West with Elrond, Galadriel, and Celeborn. Everyone was heartbroken, Sam most of all.

Ginny and Luna finished their last year at Hogwarts. A year later, Ginny married Harry, and Ron married Hermione. They all moved into Godric's Hollow together, as Harry continued training to become an Auror. It was taking him longer than most applicants, because he hadn't finished his schooling. However, due to the circumstances, the Ministry was more than willing to take him on. Neville also found a job, only he became an assistant to Professor Sprout, taking care of the many plants in the greenhouse so that she could devote more of her time and energy to teaching Herbology. Eventually he became the Herbology professor after she retired.

It was around this time that the _Quibbler_ published its final issue. No official reason was given out, and _The Daily Prophet_ snidely hinted that it must have lost too many subscribers. But that wasn't the case. Harry found out from Merry and Pippin later that Luna had taken her father with her to Middle Earth, and they weren't coming back. Mr. Lovegood found this new world fascinating, and Luna wanted to be with Legolas, who had recovered with the help of Lord Elrond.

Any Death Eater who had actually survived the battle went underground. They went back to having normal lives, under different identities. Draco Malfoy couldn't recover from what happened to him. He spent the rest of his life at the home he inherited from his parents, living off the vast fortune they left behind, in seclusion from the rest of the world.

Meanwhile, Aragorn and Arwen had three children: a son, Eldarion, and two daughters, Elenath and Menel. Incidentally, Eldarion was the same age as Harry's son, Aaron. He and Ginny couldn't give him a name like Aragorn, which would've been too strange in their world, so they went for the next best thing. Ron and Hermione also had a daughter, whom they called Robin.

The Fellowship continued to see one another occasionally, though they couldn't visit as often as they would've liked. Aragorn was always busy running Gondor, although he was helped greatly by his steward, Faramir. Legolas, Gimli, and Luna were exploring whatever part of Middle Earth they hadn't seen yet. Only Merry and Pippin were able to frequently visit and help out in the joke shop, even after they married and had families of their own. And even as time went on, and the times they all saw each other grew farther and farther apart, none of them ever forgot the adventures they had together. They had all forged a fellowship that would continue long after they died.

A/N: The End! Once again, I really hope you liked it!

At the very beginning, Gandalf is saying, "Send this foul traitor to the depths of the sea!" And it seems that nobody knows what Aragorn's daughters' names are, so I made them up. "Elenath" means "star", and "Menel" means "sky".

I'd like to thank everyone who ever sent in a review, whether it was a compliment or constructive criticism. I enjoy both because it encourages me to write more and at the same time, write better! So thank you very much! I'd thank you all personally, but there are just so many of you, and I'd hate to leave anyone out! Also, thanks to all the silent readers out there, if there are any, and I'm sure there are! I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read what I write! Thanks again everyone!


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